Posted on: 13 July 2022
The Opposition is calling on Peter Malinuaskas to personally guarantee Return to Work premiums will not rise above 1.9 per cent after new legislation passed State Parliament - and promise that further increases will be covered by the Labor Government.
The South Australian Liberal Party has been informed Peter Malinauskas promised premiums would not rise above 1.9 per cent for 2023/24 as part of Labor’s so-called deal brokered between unions and the business community.
Shadow Treasurer Matt Cowdrey said if Peter Malinauskas was so confident about this, he should personally guarantee it publicly.
“In trying to cover up his deal with the unions, Peter Malinauskas promised the business community Return to Work premiums wouldn’t rise above 1.9 per cent,” Mr Cowdrey said.
“We absolutely agree with the Premier and if he stands by this promise he should guarantee it and foot the bill if the promise is broken.
“At a time of serious economic headwinds, the last thing businesses can afford is increased premiums which is why we were happy to support the passing of this legislation.
“However, given the Malinauskas Labor Government rushed to create a new Bill which fundamentally changes the way Return to Work operates and there have been a further 50 amendments as its passed Parliament, we still have concerns about how this will impact the financial viability of the scheme.
“We have seen the Victorian Labor Government compensate their WorkSafe scheme to the tune of $850 million to ensure premiums remain competitive and Peter Malinauskas should underwrite the South Australian scheme if premiums rise above 1.9 per cent.”
Shadow Minister for Finance said the Malinauskas Labor Government has turned this whole process into a shambles by doing policy on the run.
“The first Bill had months of independent work behind it, whereas the new Bill was put together over a weekend after Peter Malinauskas succumbed to the unions, increasing the potential for error,” Ms Girolamo said.
“As we have said all along, we support what the Malinauskas Labor Government is trying to achieve but the whole process has been a disaster from start to end.
“The business community simply wants certainty around the premiums they have to pay and what better way to achieve that than a personal guarantee from the Premier.”