Lawyers representing people who have been seriously injured on the road in Queensland are calling on the Liberal National Party of Queensland (LNP) to commit to retaining the state's current CTP scheme.
"We are pleased that Queensland Labor has committed to maintaining our CTP scheme. They have acknowledged the importance of making sure injured people can access the rehabilitation and compensation they need while, of course, keeping CTP insurance costs down. We have written to the LNP requesting a similar commitment but have not yet received a response," said Ms Sarah Grace, Queensland Branch President, Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA).
The Australian Lawyers Alliance is a not-for-profit membership organisation of lawyers who act for individuals who have suffered injuries, including those who have been injured on our roads.
"Queensland's CTP scheme is stable, affordable, and well run, and continual improvement has been one of the vital factors in the success of the scheme. It delivers fair compensation to road trauma victims, most of whom are represented by ALA members," said Ms Grace.
"Queenslanders should be proud of the stability, access to justice and affordability provided by our CTP scheme. All our political parties should defend this scheme against any insurer wanting to reduce the support provided to people who have had the misfortune to be injured on the road.
"Compared to other states in Australia, CTP premiums in Queensland are low and the CTP scheme provides appropriate access to benefits for those who are injured.
"We have strong CTP and workers' compensation schemes in Queensland. There are always opportunities to improve the experience for injured people needing to access rehabilitation and compensation, but we are calling on all candidates to commit to maintaining these schemes as a minimum."
The election is a valuable opportunity to focus on protecting the rights of Queenslanders overall.
"As a community we can always continue to improve access to justice, and we are calling on all candidates in the upcoming Queensland election to aspire to creating a community that treats everyone, including those most vulnerable, with fairness and respect at the time where social cohesion should be paramount," said Ms Grace.
