Friday, October 20, 2017

ACT CTP changes - Presentation at the October Branch Meeting

At the monthly October Branch Meeting we had an interesting presentation from Walter Hawkins, Principal/Practice Leader at Maurice Blackburn Lawyers in Canberra.

Walter presented on matters pertaining to proposed changes affecting CTP in the ACT .

A copy of the presentation is attached here: 
>>Proposed changes to ACT CTP<<

There are a number of suggestions in the document which you can follow up on if they concern you!

Judging from the number of questions Walter fielded on the night it might be worth another read through!

For example:

These CTP reforms impact all ACT road users, so it’s essential that your voice is heard on the issue.  

Here are some of the key issues you can raise:

  •     The need for a fair and transparent citizen’s jury process with enough time to consider all aspects of this complex issue.
  •     The fact that we do not accept that reduced CTP premiums can only be delivered at the expense of fair and reasonable benefits for those who are injured in motor accidents.
  •      The importance of protecting the most vulnerable members of our community who must not be left to rely on Centrelink and their families when benefits are withdrawn.
  •     And that we don’t want a system in which injured people are deprived of legal help when dealing with cashed up insurers during the claims process.
 There are a number of ways you can do this:

1)    Let your local parliamentary representative know how you feel about these changes. For a full list and contact details of ACT MPs go to: https://www.parliament.act.gov.au/members/current

2)    Contact your local print and broadcast media raising these concerns. For example write a letter to your local paper: letters.editor@canberratimes.com.au

3)    Visit actctp.org for more information and more ways to help and please sign the petition to protect your CTP benefits.

 Should you want to discuss this issue further, or if you have a story to tell that you think might be of benefit to the campaign, don’t hesitate to contact the
Maurice Blackburn Canberra office on 02 6120 5000 or email ACTCTP@mauriceblackburn.com.au.