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West Australian
5 days ago
- Business
- West Australian
NSW Labor workers comp reform to be referred to inquiry despite pleas for urgency
Labor's controversial plan to reform workers compensation in NSW has suffered another blow after being referred to an inquiry, despite a plea by the Treasurer that it be urgently passed. The NSW government is attempting to pass amended plans to reform workers compensation before July 1, having faced significant opposition from the unions and the Opposition. Liberal leader Mark Speakman said the Coalition was in favour of reform to the beleaguered system, but only with key amendments – if not, they will seek to send it to an inquiry. The Opposition, in a bizarre alliance with the Greens and the unions, is seeking to stay plans to lift the threshold for a permanent whole person impairment (WPI) to 31 per cent. Opponents of the planned changes say they would lock most claimants suffering a psychological injury out of support; the government says it offers greater access to lump sum payments. Appearing before the Legislative Council, shadow treasury spokesperson Damien Tudehop moved that the bill be referred to the Public Accountability and Works Committee for inquiry in August. Instead, an amended version of the motion put forward by independent MLC Mark Latham was approved by the Council, which set that the committee would determine its own reporting date. 'It is incumbent upon the Treasurer to at least demonstrate … the manner in which this scheme is currently operating and why the savings, which have been identified for the scheme, are acting or potentially acting to target people who are the most vulnerable in terms of psychological injury which they have suffered,' Mr Tudehop said. Mr Tudehope went on to add: 'There are other areas of the manner in which the scheme is being managed at the moment, which can produce savings. There are significant savings identified in the act, which in fact we will be wholeheartedly endorsing'. During his address, Mr Tudehope said he was 'not here to hold up the process', but that the Opposition had not had enough time to properly assess the plan. In response, Treasurer Daniel Moohley said delaying the bill by referring it to an inquiry would be an 'opportunity that we miss' to begin repairing the 'broken' system. 'The opportunity we will miss is to begin to provide for injured workers,' he said. 'Absent reform, a small business that has no claims rejected is facing the prospect of a 12 per cent increase next year, followed by a further 12 per cent, followed by a further 12 per cent. 'The bigger opportunity that we've been missing is to begin to build a proper culture of prevention when it comes to psychological injury. 'That is crucial to stopping people from getting injured in the first place and at the same time making sure that we have a workers compensation system that complements the task of returning people to their health and returning people to their work.' In four weeks time, Mr Moohkey warned the system would 'fall back even further' and make reform harder, including the private sector which he said was suffering $5m losses per day. He instead urged for the Opposition to 'make this decision today' and put their amendments up for debate, rather than referring the workers compensation bill to an inquiry. Greens MLC Abigail Boyd supported the Opposition's motion, stating that the bill, if passed, 'could cause so much distress to people who are already at their most vulnerable that they may choose to end their lives. 'A bill that is literally about life and death. 'That's why we should never seek to pass a bill like this in these circumstances, with the secrecy, the deception, the blatant mistruths that we've been told over the last three months, and with the government having failed to make out the case for what they have decided to do.' She urged Labor MLCs supporting the bill to consider whether it was 'this reform that has been never recommended in any of the multiple, multiple reports or inquiries into the workers compensation system, that has been sprung on you with very little warning. 'Are you personally satisfied that the only option, the only option is to implement these reforms? The most cruel and dangerous of all of the possibilities.' She went on to add: 'I don't think any Labour member can honestly say that they thought two years ago they would now be sitting here trying to defend a bill that will kill workers.' The proposed workers compensation reform has faced stiff opposition from the state's unions, as well as a parliamentary inquiry, and competing claims about urgency. The state government says the reforms need to be passed before July 1, while the Opposition says premiums for the nominal insurer are already locked for next year. Mr Moohkey previously indicated he would not authorise further payments to the Treasury Managed Fund, the government's self-insurer, following billions in cash injections. The plan also seeks to address the state of the nominal insurer, the health of which has resulted in rising premiums for businesses and charities operating in the state, Mr Moohkey said failure of the bill had already been factored into the state budget,
Perth Now
5 days ago
- Business
- Perth Now
Major blow to Labor's compo reform
Labor's controversial plan to reform workers compensation in NSW has suffered another blow after being referred to an inquiry, despite a plea by the Treasurer that it be urgently passed. The NSW government is attempting to pass amended plans to reform workers compensation before July 1, having faced significant opposition from the unions and the Opposition. Liberal leader Mark Speakman said the Coalition was in favour of reform to the beleaguered system, but only with key amendments – if not, they will seek to send it to an inquiry. The Opposition, in a bizarre alliance with the Greens and the unions, is seeking to stay plans to lift the threshold for a permanent whole person impairment (WPI) to 31 per cent. Opponents of the planned changes say they would lock most claimants suffering a psychological injury out of support; the government says it offers greater access to lump sum payments. Appearing before the Legislative Council, shadow treasury spokesperson Damien Tudehop moved that the bill be referred to the Public Accountability and Works Committee for inquiry in August. Instead, an amended version of the motion put forward by independent MLC Mark Latham was approved by the Council, which set that the committee would determine its own reporting date. NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey addresses the media in a press conference to provide an update on the Governmentí•s workers compensation reforms. Photo: NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard Credit: News Corp Australia 'It is incumbent upon the Treasurer to at least demonstrate … the manner in which this scheme is currently operating and why the savings, which have been identified for the scheme, are acting or potentially acting to target people who are the most vulnerable in terms of psychological injury which they have suffered,' Mr Tudehop said. Mr Tudehope went on to add: 'There are other areas of the manner in which the scheme is being managed at the moment, which can produce savings. There are significant savings identified in the act, which in fact we will be wholeheartedly endorsing'. During his address, Mr Tudehope said he was 'not here to hold up the process', but that the Opposition had not had enough time to properly assess the plan. In response, Treasurer Daniel Moohley said delaying the bill by referring it to an inquiry would be an 'opportunity that we miss' to begin repairing the 'broken' system. 'The opportunity we will miss is to begin to provide for injured workers,' he said. 'Absent reform, a small business that has no claims rejected is facing the prospect of a 12 per cent increase next year, followed by a further 12 per cent, followed by a further 12 per cent. 'The bigger opportunity that we've been missing is to begin to build a proper culture of prevention when it comes to psychological injury. 'That is crucial to stopping people from getting injured in the first place and at the same time making sure that we have a workers compensation system that complements the task of returning people to their health and returning people to their work.' In four weeks time, Mr Moohkey warned the system would 'fall back even further' and make reform harder, including the private sector which he said was suffering $5m losses per day. Shadow Treasurer Damien Tudehope moved the bill be referred to an inquiry. NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard Credit: News Corp Australia He instead urged for the Opposition to 'make this decision today' and put their amendments up for debate, rather than referring the workers compensation bill to an inquiry. Greens MLC Abigail Boyd supported the Opposition's motion, stating that the bill, if passed, 'could cause so much distress to people who are already at their most vulnerable that they may choose to end their lives. 'A bill that is literally about life and death. 'That's why we should never seek to pass a bill like this in these circumstances, with the secrecy, the deception, the blatant mistruths that we've been told over the last three months, and with the government having failed to make out the case for what they have decided to do.' She urged Labor MLCs supporting the bill to consider whether it was 'this reform that has been never recommended in any of the multiple, multiple reports or inquiries into the workers compensation system, that has been sprung on you with very little warning. 'Are you personally satisfied that the only option, the only option is to implement these reforms? The most cruel and dangerous of all of the possibilities.' She went on to add: 'I don't think any Labour member can honestly say that they thought two years ago they would now be sitting here trying to defend a bill that will kill workers.' The proposed workers compensation reform has faced stiff opposition from the state's unions, as well as a parliamentary inquiry, and competing claims about urgency. The state government says the reforms need to be passed before July 1, while the Opposition says premiums for the nominal insurer are already locked for next year. Mr Moohkey previously indicated he would not authorise further payments to the Treasury Managed Fund, the government's self-insurer, following billions in cash injections. The plan also seeks to address the state of the nominal insurer, the health of which has resulted in rising premiums for businesses and charities operating in the state, Mr Moohkey said failure of the bill had already been factored into the state budget,
West Australian
7 days ago
- Business
- West Australian
NSW Coalition's bold bid to postpone Labor's ‘rushed' workers comp reform
NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey has accused the Coalition of seeking to delay controversial workers compensation reforms. A revised plan to reform workers compensation passed a second reading in the lower house late on Tuesday night despite stiff opposition. The NSW Liberals, Nationals, and the Greens voted against the Bill and proposed amendments that were one-by-one voted down by Labor MPs. The bizarre coalition against the Bill was described as a 'divorce' for Labor and the Greens, the latter joining the Liberals and the state's unions in opposing the Bill. Mr Mookhey told reporters on Wednesday that the Coalition would seek to have the Bill pushed back until August, well past the end of financial year and this year's budget. 'Obviously, we think that the Bill needs to be considered straight away,' the Treasurer said. 'The system is continuing to fail, the system is continuing to fall into weakness. 'It's continuing to fail employers, and it's not doing anything for the state as well.' Mr Mookhey claimed every day of delay would cost the scheme and in turn injured workers and businesses facing rising premiums through the state's nominal insurer. On the forthcoming budget, Mr Mookhey said the Bill's failure had already been accounted for after the Coalition claimed it was being rushed before the budget. Mr Mookhey said Labor would continue to engage with the opposition, whose reforms he claimed would add $1.9bn in 'additional financial pressure' over four years. The opposition has called for the state government to stay plans to lift the proposed threshold for permanent whole-person impairment (WPI). Asked if the Liberal Party was 'on the side of the unions', shadow treasurer Daniel Tudehope said it was a 'bad way of characterising' their opposition to the Bill. 'We're on the on the side of good legislation,' Mr Tudehope told Sky News. 'The legislation which has been put before us is seeking to drive down the cost of workers compensation in NSW because of psychological injuries. 'A lot of the legislation we agree with … but there are some flash points in that legislation that we don't agree with, and it so happens that the unions agree with us.' Under the proposal, a person with a permanent whole-person impairment would be required to meet a 30 per cent threshold – up from 21 per cent – to receive lifelong support. Mr Tudehope said those people would be deprived of a 'better tomorrow' and the Coalition would seek to have the Bill subjected to a parliamentary inquiry. For their part, Mr Mookhey and Industrial Relations Minister Sophie Cotsis claim the Bill with instil a 'culture of prevention' and address the beleaguered state self-insurer. Mr Mookhey told an earlier parliamentary inquiry into the reforms that he would not authorise further cash injections to the Treasury Managed Fund, the state self-insurer. Private businesses and charities are also facing a rise in premiums, which the Coalition says has been set at 8 per cent for next financial year. Detractors, including NSW's unions, claim the changes to WPI would lock many psychologically injured workers out of support. Mr Mookhey said those workers would instead have better access to a lump-sum payment that would keep them out of the workers compensation scheme long term.
