Victims of Crime Compensation Scheme

Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (16:37): My question is to the Attorney-General. To access the increased maximum payments under the Victims of Crime Compensation Scheme as per the government's election commitment, what is the date from which an offence will need to have been committed?

The Hon. J.R. RAU (Enfield—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General, Minister for Justice Reform, Minister for Planning, Minister for Housing and Urban Development, Minister for Industrial Relations) (16:37): I thank the honourable member for her question. The honourable member is quite right in pointing out that we made an election commitment that there would be an increase in the maximum payment along with, I might add, other payments—payments to classes of damage which previously had not been compensable and various other things.

The idea is that we are going to be bringing legislation to this parliament, and the absolute detail of the legislation, including operative dates, will obviously be contained in that legislation when it is drafted, and I will bring it here as quickly as I can. In answer to your question, I would have to check but I think our election promise said that it would commence in 2016, if I remember correctly.

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The Hon. J.R. RAU: Payment, yes, and it is conventional that the date that a change in payment occurs is the same date that the change in entitlement occurs. Otherwise what you have is people cherry picking and holding back applications in the hope that they are able to jump the queue, hang onto their application for a period of time, and then drop it into the next period. So the logical point in time at which you should have that barrier is the point in time at which the payment changes. Otherwise I would assume everybody between now and whatever that date is would be holding back their applications in order to able to make a big rush at the new arrangements.

Now, whilst that is not a matter that we have got to the point of drafting, that is what happens in every other scheme that I am aware of. You would be aware, for example, in the Motor Accident Commission arrangements, when changes were made there they were not retrospective changes. The scale which was to be applied to people who were involved in motor vehicle accidents applied from a certain day and it applied from accidents that occurred on that day and beyond. So that is where I expect it to go, but obviously the final form of the legislation is a matter for the parliament. All I can do is indicate to you what I anticipate is consistent with our policy announcement and will be brought to the parliament.