Mark Latham's call for the Government to sit down with States and Territories to resolve issues surrounding medical indemnity shows the new Opposition Leader is out of touch with his State and Territory colleagues and Labor Senators, Minister for Revenue and Assistant Treasurer, Senator Helen Coonan said today.
"Governments across Australia have been working diligently for the past two years to resolve problems in public liability, professional indemnity and medical indemnity insurance and all Federal Labor has done is actively and deliberately attempted to derail that process," Senator Coonan said.
"Under the Opposition's approach, a range of professionals, including doctors, will continue to be under threat of claims for personal injury, regardless of whether they were at fault or not. This fails to resolve uncertainty in the insurance market generally and for doctors in particular.
"A case in point is Labor's continued opposition to the Government's attempts to close an avenue in the Trade Practices Act that allows individuals to side-step sensible State and Territory law reform.
"The Government's Trade Practices Act (Personal Injury and Death) Bill has the support of all States and Territories as well as the Insurance Council of Australia and conforms with the recommendations of the Ipp Review.
"Federal Labor are out of step with expert opinion and out of step with their State and Territory colleagues across the country. Labor and Democrat Senators have proposed amended legislation which will result in greater uncertainty and complexity for plaintiffs and the insurance market.
"In short, they will lead to a field day for lawyers and the spectre of legal action hanging over the heads of professionals - including doctors. This at a time when the Federal ALP is seemingly keen to convince the Australian public that it will ensure doctors will stay in practice so Australians can access essential medical services!
"This Government has persistently pursued long-term solutions that have a genuine and lasting impact on the insurance landscape and ones that balance the rights of plaintiffs with the need to accept some personal responsibility.
"Labor is only interested in political grandstanding and buck-passing. I'm yet to hear of any sensible and sustainable solution to ensuring the safety and stability of the medical indemnity industry from Labor.
"Mr Latham should have a word with his Labor Senators and listen to his Labor State and Territory colleagues and give his unconditional support to the Government's proposed reforms. He must abandon Opposition for Opposition's sake."