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In anticipation of the upcoming federal election, lawyers in Australia have made their voices clear by outlining the key policy and law reform issues they want parties and candidates to address.
The Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) has released its Call-to-Parties report, which highlights the 10 areas the Australian legal profession wants parties and candidates to make commitments about ahead of the 2025 federal election.
One of the key areas that Australian lawyers believe requires attention is the reform of Services Australia Centrelink and Medicare compensation recovery processes.
While improvements have been noted in the “processing times for Centrelink clearance requests”, the ALA believes that further action is necessary to ensure that the processes supporting these government services are “optimal, fair and efficient”.
The ALA urges all parties and stakeholders to commit to ensuring that the federal government provides “adequate funding, staff and resources” to Services Australia.
Additionally, it advocates for the Commonwealth Parliament to work in collaboration with Services Australia and community stakeholders to introduce “legislation and regulatory reforms” aimed at strengthening the compensation recovery processes for Centrelink and Medicare.
Michelle James, national president of ALA, said: “We need our systems and schemes like Centrelink, Medicare, the NDIS and Comcare to be fair, efficient and operating with respect for the individual. This is especially important for Australians injured at work or for people living with disability who need to focus on their rehabilitation or treatment – not on onerous bureaucratic processes.”
Another area lawyers are calling for immediate reforms from the next elected general government is to ensure that “appropriate outcomes for all NDIS participants and the ongoing sustainability of the NDIS” are achieved.
This marks a continuation of the ALA’s prior appeal, wherein they have “repeatedly warned” federal, state, and territory governments about the risks associated with “the absence of workforce infrastructure planning” before the NDIS’s launch.
To address these concerns, the ALA has urged political parties to commit to reforms that prioritise the “safety and wellbeing” of NDIS participants and “adequately fund, staff, and resource the Administrative Review Tribunal”.
They have also called for enhanced support for NDIS participants in rural, regional, and remote areas, Indigenous communities, individuals from low socioeconomic backgrounds, and those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
The ALA has also voiced its support for the development of a federal Human Rights Act by the next elected federal government, expressing that the establishment of such an act “would give expression to values important to all Australians”.
The other areas in which ALA has called for the parties and candidates to prioritise are:
Legislative reforms for Comcare.
Access to offenders’ superannuation for abuse victim-survivors.
The use of genetic testing results in life insurance underwriting.
Improving rights for aviation customers.
Protecting human rights and freedoms, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander rights.
Aged care reforms.
Regulation of health practitioners who perform and who advertise non-surgical cosmetic procedures.
Commonwealth Criminal Code reforms.
“This election is a valuable opportunity to focus on making sure our leaders are building a society that is just and compassionate,” James said.
“As a community, we can always continue to improve access to justice, and we are calling on all candidates in the upcoming election to aspire to creating a community that treats everyone, including those most vulnerable, with fairness and respect at a time where social cohesion should be paramount.”
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Grace Robbie
