2011 has been a challenging year for many living and working in Ipswich and through the Somerset Region.
More importantly it has been a year of community building. We witnessed incredible acts of self-sacrifice. It was a time when neighbours and complete strangers reached out to support others
I have been proud to represent the people of Ipswich and the Somerset Region in Federal Parliament. The courage and resilience of this community is renowned and celebrated across the nation.
I look forward to continue working with you through 2012, which is lining up as a great year of building on some of the Federal Labor Government’s great achievements in Ipswich and through the Somerset Region.
In 2012 we will continue to build vital infrastructure; invest in our communities; build on our education and health services.
In 2012 we will roll out tax reforms and additional payments for households and pensioners to assist with increasing cost of living pressures. We will continue to invest in jobs, in industry and business as
we move towards a clean energy future.
In 2012 we will continue to build the framework for a National Disability Insurance Scheme.
I am looking forward to continuing to build jobs, growth and fairness for the people of Blair.
At this time of year, when so many go without or are lonely and isolated, I would encourage everyone to reach out to those less fortunate. In doing so we make new connections, bring joy into the lives of others and ourselves.
On behalf of my wife Carolyn, and daughters Alex and Jacqui, and from my staff, I wish you all a peaceful and joyous Christmas season.
Regards
Shayne
Insurance companies will be scrutinised as a result of their response to our summer of natural disasters.
I am pleased to announce that the Federal Government has heard of your experiences with your insurance companies this year and have now responded. From what I have seen and what you have told me, it was clear that the insurance industry needed to be more honest and accountable. I have spoken at length with the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, and Assistant Treasurer, Bill Shorten, over the past few months and they have agreed to establish a Parliamentary inquiry into the responsiveness of the insurance industry during natural disasters; an inquiry I lobbied for because of what I saw first hand.
I have spent the past months questioning the capacity of the insurance industry to respond quickly and in good faith to the high volumes of claims. My office was overwhelmed by the amount of people in Ipswich and the Somerset region who have suffered as a result of the inconsistent and slow response of some insurance companies.
The industry's responsiveness is now the subject of a new inquiry by the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs, of which I am a member. I have been concerned about the length of time it has taken for the insurance industry to process many claims, and about the claims handling process more generally.
I am also concerned about the widespread mismatch between what people thought their insurance policies covered, and the outcomes of their claims.
The inquiry will examine the insurance industry in respect to extreme weather events.
In particular, the Committee will consider:
· the information provided to consumers about claims processing arrangements
· the timeliness of claims processing
· the impact of third-party consultants on timeframes for claims processing, and
· external and internal dispute resolution processes.
As part of the inquiry, the Committee will be conducting an online survey in order to assess issues concerning disaster-affected communities with respect to insurance claims.
The survey gives policy-holders who have made a disaster-related claim in the past five years the opportunity to comment on the coverage of their insurance policy, the adequacy of the information provided when choosing their policy, and the handling of their insurance claim.
I urge all home and business policy-holders to visit here to complete the survey. We want to find innovative ways to bring policy holders and insurers together to achieve a better outcome for all parties.
The Committee will be making visits to several affected communities around Australia and holding public hearings in the second part of 2011, and anticipates reporting its findings in early 2012. For the full terms of reference, please visit the Committee's website
Shayne
The Inquiry is holding a public forum in Ipswich at the Ipswich Civic Centre on
Tuesday 27 September 2011 2pm - 5pm