Politics
Labor … and workers’ comp
ON 23rd November 2000 the then Minister for Infrastructure, Energy and Resources Mr Lennon proposed to the Tasmanian Parliament that there be an amendment to the Worker’s Rehabilitation and Compensation Act. The amendment was complex and long, however there were two major changes made. Firstly, workers were to receive much less by way of weekly payments after a very short period of time on benefits (6 weeks). Weekly benefits were to decrease to 85% initially and then to 70% of Normal Weekly Earnings after one year.
But, by far and away the most challenging change to the legislation was the virtual elimination of rights of workers in Tasmania to sue negligent employers when they were injured. This common law right which has existed for most of the 20th Century was to be taken away from most workers. Currently workers are the only individuals in Tasmania who do not have access to the Courts when they are injured due to the negligence of other people. This right has existed in all democracies in different forms since early in the 20th Century. It takes account of the community attitude that if somebody is injured because another person or company acts negligently then the injured person should be entitled to compensation.
etc, etc …