The ACT government will be funding a series of citizens juries to make important reforms. The first citizens jury will give its verdict on the best ways to improve the ACT compulsory third party (CTP) scheme without making premiums more expensive. Currently, the cheapest insurer in the scheme is at least $100 more than the Australian average.
Why the change?
In the ACT, CTP does not cover accidents where fault cannot be proven – 40% of motor accident injuries. If a driver hits a kangaroo (all too common in the ACT) they cannot claim on the CTP scheme. ACT is one of the last places in Australia where everyone must prove fault to get benefits.
Second, it can take 2 years or more to get a payout because of the need to prove fault. This means injured parties have to wait a long time for any resolution. Not only that, the process is more costly.
Why citizens jury?
It is interesting that Canberra is Australia’s political home and the ACT government is funding citizens juries to make some important decisions. Citizens juries are a type of deliberative democracy. This is where ordinary people come together to discuss, debate and decide.
Since 285,000 Canberrans own vehicles and pay up to $565 each year for CTP, they care about reforming the CTP scheme.
How it works
The citizens jury will work like this:
- In early September, government sends out 6,000 invitations to randomly selected households. It needs 300 registrations to choose 50 jurors who most closely represent the community.
- In October, jurors spend two weekends making a list of scheme priorities . This list goes to a stakeholder group of legal and health professionals, government officials and disability advocates to develop possible schemes.
- In March 2018, jurors spend one weekend scrutinising the schemes before choosing a new model in mid-2018.
Have your say
If you are not chosen for the citizens jury on CTP, you can still have your say about ACT CTP here: