Attorney-General Elise Archer must make an immediate overhaul of Tasmania's Guardianship Act a priority following limited progress in the wake of a three-year-old report urging change.
Labor Member for Clark Ella Haddad said it was clear there were serious problems with the laws in light of an overwhelming flood of heart-wrenching stories now emerging about Tasmanian's negative experiences with the Public Trustee.
"It's not good enough that the Tasmanian Law Reform Institute handed its report urging an overhaul of the outdated Act to the government in 2018 but very little work has progressed," Ms Haddad said.
"It's time today for Ms Archer to commit to a review of the Act.
"The overwhelmingly negative - often cruel - experiences that have come to light in recent weeks need to be addressed and Tasmanians clearly need greater protection.
"I know that my office has received a steady flow of information from people whose experience has been negative, unfair and damaging to them and their loved ones.
"Advocacy Tasmania has opened the floodgates and stories are now out in the open about Tasmanians who have decision-making capacity but are having their wishes ignored.
"Estates are being eaten up in fees and people are not being given access to information about what the Public Trustee is doing with their assets or the level of fees that are being charged.
"Ms Archer has had the TLRI since 2018 and it provides her and the government with a pathway forward.
"To ignore it and the effect the outdated guardianship laws are having on Tasmanians would be irresponsible and cruel."
Ella Haddad MP
Labor Member for Clark
