Latest news with #PublicAccountabilityandWorksCommittee
The Age
14 hours ago
- Business
- The Age
Workers' compensation legislation suffers blow after key MP turns
The NSW government's contentious workers' compensation reforms has suffered another blow after an upper house committee moved to keep Treasurer Daniel Mookhey's proposed legislation in an inquiry indefinitely, with concerns the promised budgetary savings had been overhyped. It came as Kim Garling, the inaugural independent watchdog of the workplace compensation system, said the government's argument about the need to urgently reform the scheme to ensure its sustainability was 'misplaced', saying it has 'been in deficit for most of the time it's been in existence'. In a marked shift in his position, rogue MP Mark Latham said he was 'feeling a little misled' and 'pretty pessimistic about landing a result' given Premier Chris Minns' opposition to amendments proposed by both himself and the Coalition. After the second day of public hearings, the seven-person Public Accountability and Works Committee resolved on Tuesday night to remain ongoing, according to two sources speaking on the condition of anonymity to detail private deliberations. Mookhey had hoped to bring the legislation back for a vote during the budget week. The proposed reforms to the workers' compensation scheme would drastically curtail the ability of psychologically injured workers to access long-term payments, a course of action the government has characterised as imperative given the financial pressures on the budget and business premiums. One key plank of the reforms, cutting psychologically injured workers from benefits after 2½ years unless they reached a higher, 31 per cent Whole of Person Impairment (WPI) rating, was put under the spotlight during a public hearing on Tuesday. The second inquiry was established to allow crossbenchers to interrogate assumptions underpinning Mookhey's reforms, after the attempt to pass the bill in early June failed to garner enough support from the Coalition, Greens and crossbenchers. Mookhey continued to make the financial case for reform during the hearing on Tuesday, warning the deficit would skyrocket to $14.6 billion by 2032 without premium hikes.
Sydney Morning Herald
14 hours ago
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
Workers' compensation legislation suffers blow after key MP turns
The NSW government's contentious workers' compensation reforms has suffered another blow after an upper house committee moved to keep Treasurer Daniel Mookhey's proposed legislation in an inquiry indefinitely, with concerns the promised budgetary savings had been overhyped. It came as Kim Garling, the inaugural independent watchdog of the workplace compensation system, said the government's argument about the need to urgently reform the scheme to ensure its sustainability was 'misplaced', saying it has 'been in deficit for most of the time it's been in existence'. In a marked shift in his position, rogue MP Mark Latham said he was 'feeling a little misled' and 'pretty pessimistic about landing a result' given Premier Chris Minns' opposition to amendments proposed by both himself and the Coalition. After the second day of public hearings, the seven-person Public Accountability and Works Committee resolved on Tuesday night to remain ongoing, according to two sources speaking on the condition of anonymity to detail private deliberations. Mookhey had hoped to bring the legislation back for a vote during the budget week. The proposed reforms to the workers' compensation scheme would drastically curtail the ability of psychologically injured workers to access long-term payments, a course of action the government has characterised as imperative given the financial pressures on the budget and business premiums. One key plank of the reforms, cutting psychologically injured workers from benefits after 2½ years unless they reached a higher, 31 per cent Whole of Person Impairment (WPI) rating, was put under the spotlight during a public hearing on Tuesday. The second inquiry was established to allow crossbenchers to interrogate assumptions underpinning Mookhey's reforms, after the attempt to pass the bill in early June failed to garner enough support from the Coalition, Greens and crossbenchers. Mookhey continued to make the financial case for reform during the hearing on Tuesday, warning the deficit would skyrocket to $14.6 billion by 2032 without premium hikes.
