Outright opposition to any increase in the Queensland's Workers Comp Premiums
23 February
Statement by David Goodwin
The workers compensation premium is one of the few remaining areas where Queensland still has a competitive advantage.
Queensland lawyers are going to need to accept that there will have to be something done to limit the currently unfettered access to common law by employees.
It is not acceptable that a culture of ambulance chasing in workplaces results in a witch-hunt of employers and unsustainable employment insurance premiums.
There also needs to be more analysis on the investment performance of WorkCover to see whether the forecasted insolvency ratio dropping, and its resultant trigger for this review, is an anomaly caused by the GFC.
Will the ratio be naturally corrected over coming years as has previously occurred?
The general thrust appears to be a double pronged problem of increasing common law claims coupled with poor investment performance.
Unfortunately Queensland's workers comp premium finds itself in the firing line.
If we do nothing we could potentially see a doubling in premiums. This would cost Queensland businesses $690 million and leave us with one of the highest premium levels in the country.
This is a situation that is unacceptable to the Queensland business community.
Queensland's Government needs to ensure that any upward movement in the levy is minimised, is short term, and does not jeopardise Queensland having the lowest levy in Australia.
Accordingly Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland will be opposing the recommendation to progressively over time increase the average premium rate.
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Media contact
David Goodwin
President
t: 0405 229 778
Nick Behrens
General Manager - Policy
t: 0420 961 171