A report to the Berejiklian Government revealing such gross mismanagement of a public sector agency that it was probably thought a blessing that it was formally ordered published on a Friday

Failure of the icare Board to govern, lack of expertise, conflicts of interest, unethical behaviour, financial mismanagement, failure to meet standards, inappropriate behaviour, lack of accountability and grossly excessive executive remuneration – just a few of the problematic issues revealed in the 2020 annual review of this state compulsory workers compensation scheme, managed by icare since 2015 under ‘reforms’ established by the NSW Baird Coalition Government.

Sadly, the 2019 Independent reviewer report on the Nominal Insurer of the NSW workers compensation scheme: For the State Insurance Regulatory Authority (NSW) foreshadowed what was to come in 2020, by failing in its report to discourage the icare board and management from continuing the organisation’s wayward course.

NSW Legislative Council, Standing Committee on Law and Justice, 2020 review of the Workers Compensation Scheme, April 2021, excerpt:

Findings

Finding 1

That the multi-billion losses incurred recently by the Nominal Insurer and Treasury Managed Fund have been caused, in large part, by a collapse in return to work rates arising from icare’s decision to introduce a new claims management model.

Finding 2

That return to work rates have fallen further in schemes managed by icare than in schemes managed by specialist and self-insurers.

Finding 3

That icare has failed to address the fall in return to work rates in the Nominal Insurer and the Treasury Managed Fund with either the urgency or thoroughness they deserved given the negative impacts falling return to work rates have on injured workers and the financial sustainability of the scheme.

Finding 4

That the Nominal Insurer and the Treasury Managed Fund will continue to sustain major underwriting losses until icare improves return to work rates.

Finding 5

That implementation of the Work Injury Screening and Early Intervention (WISE) protocols, that deliver early and active intervention for injured workers with musculoskeletal injury that have a risk of delayed return to work, have had a significant positive impact on return to work rates, and despite this evidence being available to icare they have not been adopted in the Nominal Insurer or the Treasury Managed Fund.

Finding 6

That icare has too often failed to reach the standards of behaviour expected of a New South Wales public sector agency.

Finding 7

That icare’s decision to select Guidewire and Capgemini to build the Nominal Insurer Single Platform appears to have been predetermined, and led to project costs rising from $110 million to more than $360 million.

Finding 8

That Mr Vivek Bhatia and Mr Michael Carapiet failed to take appropriate steps to declare, record and manage the conflict of interests arising from Mr Bhatia’s personal relationship with the leaders of Capgemini.

Finding 9

That Mr John Nagle's decision to appear in a video endorsing Guidewire’s software, and to accept their sponsorship of a trip to Las Vegas to appear at their 2018 conference, was inappropriate.

Finding 10

That icare failed to clearly notify bidders that it was considering the appointment of a sole scheme agent to manage Nominal Insurer claims in the 2018 tender and as a consequence, the tender process was not fairly conducted.

Finding 11

That icare’s implementation of a claims management system that has a single scheme agent to manage all nominal insurer claims by using a sole scheme agent has failed.

Finding 12

That icare appears to have applied undue pressure on EML to engage The Bridge International using a Project Service Order mechanism.

Finding 13

That icare’s decision to select the Perceptive Group to develop a Net Promoter Score transgressed all reasonable conflict of interest principles.

Finding 14

That icare’s decision to award Mr Rob Craig unlimited authority to enter into contracts to build the Nominal Insurer Single Platform was inappropriate and contrary to an express policy determined by the Board.

Finding 15

That icare’s systemic failure to comply with key requirements of the Government Information (Public Access Act (2009) is longstanding, systematic and remains unacceptable.

Finding 16

That icare’s policy of permitting senior executives to engage in secondary employment is inappropriate, especially given the extraordinary levels of the salaries paid to icare executives to perform their work for icare.

Finding 17

That the icare Board failed to appropriately sanction the former Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director after his inadequate disclosure of a serious conflict of interest involving a close family member.

Finding 18

That icare failed to provide Mr Chris McCann with a safe workplace and inappropriately required him to enter into a non-disclosure agreement after he raised serious concerns with icare's governance.

Finding 19

That the icare Board comprehensively failed to properly govern icare.

Finding 20

That icare's Board lacked members with expertise in personal injury management or workers compensation.

Finding 21

That mechanisms between the icare Board and Treasurer have failed to work in making icare accountable for its conduct.

Finding 22

That the level of executive remuneration at icare is grossly excessive, and is likely to have contributed to poor cultural practices at icare, and is out of keeping with community expectations.

Meet the icare Board at https://www.icare.nsw.gov.au/about-us/our-people/our-board.

Grafton Nannas Against Gas and Greed joined a community campaign – Fund Our Future Not Gas – in the lead-up to May 2021 Federal Budget

 GRAFTON KNITTING NANNAS CAMPAIGN ON FUNDING OUR FUTURE - NOT GAS

Knitting Nannas setting up for the day in Grafton
Photographs supplied

The Grafton Nannas Against Gas and Greed joined a community campaign – Fund Our Future Not Gas – in the lead-up to May’s Federal Budget. Those participating in this campaign include Nannas from around the state, 350.org and GetUp. The campaign aims to raise awareness about the folly of the federal government’s gas led recovery and highlight where budget money should go to improve the lot of all Australians – not just the polluting fossil fuel companies which the Government plans to shower with largesse.

At the Grafton knit-in outside MP Kevin Hogan’s Prince Street office on Thursday April 22, interested passers-by were asked what they thought should be in the budget. Among the suggestions were improved funding for aged care, hospitals and health, education, the NDIS, homelessness, public housing, first home buyers, Closing the Gap, environmental protection, the ABC, and the CSIRO. As well there were calls for electric car subsidies, more renewable energy, and effective climate action. Another suggestion was not to give more money to the already rich.

Some suggestions were less about budget expenditure but highlighting the concerns many people have about politicians’ ethics and their accountability as well as the health of our democracy. These included calls for honesty, stopping lying, banning big business lobbyists, stopping the press monopoly, and stopping secret deals.

Also there were calls to stop relying on poorly paid workers from overseas (and get rid of 457 Visas) as well as for women’s rights that were real, not token, and the establishment of a Federal ICAC.

Some of those who chatted with the Nannas did not want to add anything to the list but expressed support for what had been listed while others approved of what the Nannas were doing to draw attention to the need for fairness in the budget and applauded the Nannas for getting out and campaigning.

In the follow-up to their knit-in the Nannas will be writing to Kevin Hogan about these suggestions and other general comments they received. The Grafton Nannas believe it would be in Mr Hogan’s interest to listen to what his constituents say about ditching the gas folly and ensuring public money works for his community. He should know that after our local Metgasco experience there is unlikely to be much support here for a gas led recovery, particularly amongst the increasing number of people who want fossil fuels phased out in order to cut our carbon emissions drastically.

- Leonie Blain

On behalf of the Grafton Knitting Nannas Against Gas and Greed

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GuestSpeak is a feature of North Coast Voices allowing Northern Rivers residents to make satirical or serious comment on issues that concern them. Posts of 250-300 words or less can be submitted to 

ncvguestspeak AT gmail.com.au for consideration. Longer posts will be considered on topical subjects.

COVID-19 Pandemic India 2021: an object lesson for unfocussed or complacent world leaders such as Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison

 

Makeshift funeral pyres in a public park in Delhi
IMAGE: Yahoo!News, 29 April 2021

This was Indian Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi speaking at the Virtual World Economic Forum on 28 January 2021: 

Friends, I have brought the message of confidence, positivity and hope from 1.3 billion Indians amidst these times of apprehension. There were no less difficulties before India when Corona happened. I remember what many reputed experts and top institutions in the world said in February-March-April last year. It was predicted that India would be the most affected country from corona all over the world. It was said that there would be a tsunami of corona infections in India, somebody said 700-800 million Indians would get infected while others said 2 million Indians would die. 

The world's concern for a developing country like India was also natural given the state of affairs in the world’s greatest countries with modern health infrastructure. You can imagine our frame of mind. But India did not allow itself to be demoralized. Rather India moved ahead with a proactive approach with public participation...... 

 Friends, It would not be advisable to judge India's success with that of another country. In a country which is home to 18 percent of the world population, that country has saved humanity from a big disaster by containing corona effectively. 

In the initial period of Corona, we were importing masks, PPE kits and test kits. Today, we are not only taking care of our domestic needs, but also serving the citizens of other countries by exporting these items. And today it is India which has also launched the world's largest corona vaccination program. 

 In the first phase, we are vaccinating our 30 million health and frontline workers. You can imagine the speed with which India is vaccinating its people. In just 12 days, India has vaccinated more than 2.3 million health workers. In the next few months, we will meet the vaccination target of about 300 million elderly and co-morbidity patients..... 

At the point in time that Modi made that speech India's cumulative total number of COVID-19 cases was est. 10,720,048 nationally, with 18,855 new cases recorded on the day. 

At 6:20pm on 29 April 2021 the Indian COVID-19 cumulative case total had reached 18,376,421 persons nationally, of which at least 204,832 had died and on that day 379,259 new infections were recorded. 

By 1 May the COVID-19 death toll has reached at least 208,330 in India.

Mainstream media is reporting that the Indian health system has broken down, its COVID-19 statistics are no longer reliable, the vaccination rate has fallen, people are dying in hospital corridors, on roads and in their homes and, there are so many dead that bodies are now being cremated on city streets and in public parks. 

To an outsider looking in, it appears both the Indian national and state governments took their eyes off the predicted risk of another COVID-19 infection wave. 

Since January Indian politicians appear to have focussed instead on multiple elections scheduled for March through to April 2021, and on the political party campaigning involved. 

Indian citizens on Twitter have accused Modi of being more interested in holding large political rallies and of letting pandemic health infrastructure slide. He has insisted that Twitter remove from view in India all posts critical of his government and the party he leads. 

There is an eerie similarity between the political situation in India and the lack of sustained focus on the national COVID-19 vaccination program shown by the Morrison Government since the beginning of what is mooted to be a federal election year here in Australia. 

Prime Minister Scott Morrison's personal style of governing - being in continuous election campaign mode since August 2018 - is so similar to Narendra Modi's style of governing as to raise concerns. If Morrison continues to campaign rather than govern as the global pandemic escalates he risks further spread of the highly infectious COVID-19 variants - all three of which have already entered an Australia which has only est. 2 per cent of the population partially vaccinated courtesy of his government's mismanagement.

Morrison's failure to take federal responsibility for human quarantine during a global pandemic, his refusal to create dedicated Commonwealth quarantine stations and provide air transport to repatriate Australian citizens to such stations, has (over the 16 months since the pandemic first reached our shores) left more than 36,000 Australians still stranded overseas with around 4,860 considered to be vulnerable as coronavirus travel restrictions continue.

Because Morrison has never made safe and permanent provision for national quarantine, this week he refused to allow 9,000 Australians stranded in India to return home and criminalised any attempt by them to re-enter the country. This clearly demonstrates a cold ruthlessness in his ongoing determination to force the states and territories to bear the major burden, responsibility and blame with regard to the progress of the pandemic within Australian borders - while he continues with his highly stage-managed election mode campaigning. 

NOTE:

As of 2:20am on 1 May 2021 John Hopkins University had recorded 3,169,492 deaths from COVID-19 infection world wide. While the last weekly update from the World Health Organisation (WHO) on 27 April stated that globally COVID-19 cases had increase for the 9th consecutive week and deaths for the 6th consecutive week. WHO also reported that highly infectious variants of the virus continue to spread and, as of 27 April 139 countries have reported the infectious UK variant of the virus, 87 countries the infectious South African variant and 54 countries the infectious Brazil & Japan variant. WHO reports that all these variants were confirmed as entering Australia.

Tasmania goes to the polls today to elect a House of Assembly

 

A general election for the Parliament of Tasmania House of Assembly is being held today, Saturday 1 May 2021. 

Tasmania has five House of Assembly divisions: Bass, Braddon, Clark, Franklin and Lyons. Twenty-five members are to be elected - 5 for each division.

There are also elections in three divisions of the Legislative Council - Derwent, Mersey and Windermere - being held today.

Polling closes at 6pm and ballot counting will commence shortly there after.

For count results go to https://www.tec.tas.gov.au/index.html after 6pm and follow the prompts.

ABC News will be covering the election on the night and the ABC also has a dedicated webpage at:

 https://www.abc.net.au/news/elections/tas-election-2021/.

Tweets of the Week

 

In the kitchen. Just heard my daughter yell "where's the remote? I don't wanna listen to Scott Morrison's bullshit!"
She's 7.
I have taught her well 😂

— Wrennyren (@Wrennyren1) April 28, 2021

 

Scott Morrison and I went to the same school. On behalf of the old boys, staff and students of Sydney Boys High School I wish to offer a profound apology to the citizens of Australia. #auspol

— Victor Kline (@victorklineTNL) April 28, 2021

 

Cartoons of the Week

CathyWilcox

Alan Moir

CathyWilcox

State of Play New South Wales: roads, death, trauma costs and safety data covering years 2012-2021

In March 2021 the Australian Government Dept. of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications released its road deaths data for New South Wales covering the twelve months to March 2021:

NSW Road Deaths for March to March periods ending on 31 March 2012 through to 31 March 2021

In the 12 months up to 31 March 2021, “Drivers” was the largest fatality group involved in a motor vehicle accident, the biggest fatality age group was those between 40 and 64 years of age and men had the highest gender fatality figures.

From 1 January to 31 March 2021 there were a total of 73 road deaths in New South Wales

In March 2021 the NRMA also released its annual “Rate Your Roads” report for regional New South Wales which looked at the cost of road accident trauma.

Northern NSW falls into the NRMA’s Townsend region.

Northern Rivers Total Road Trauma Cost Breakdown for 2014-2018:

Clarence Valley – $492,364,548

Tweed – $472,172,580

Lismore – $ 279,501,896

Richmond Valley – $278,021,556

Ballina – $223,471,769

Byron – $204,822,770

Kyogle – $138,242,279.

The headline cost of trauma varies in the Townsend region from nearly $500 million in Clarence Valley, to around $16 million in Brewarrina. There is significant variance of these due to the population and size of the road network of the respective LGAs.

But on average, the cost of road trauma is approximately $155 million per LGA.

When adjusted per head of population, each LGA is in a narrower band of generally approximately $6,000 to $15,000 per person, with a few outliners.

Some LGAs might have a disproportionately large or small road network, and a road trauma cost/km may be beneficial. There is a significant amount of variance from around $8,000/km in Brewarrina to $300,000/km in Tweed.

Adjusting for both population and road network size might be considered a pseudo-equitable outcome. On this specific metric, Tamworth Regional LGA represents the ‘safest’ LGA in the NRMA Townsend region, with a road trauma cost of $1.80/person/km. 

In contrast, Walcha is the ‘least safe’ LGA, with a road trauma cost of $22.18/person/km. This means that after accounting for the difference in the size of the road network and population, the Walcha LGA has nearly 15 times more road trauma than Tamworth Regional Council LGA…… 

Northern Rivers “Rate Your Roads” 2021 survey participants gave the following overall safety scores for the road systems in their local government areas:

Ballina – 47.50%

Tweed – 47.16%

Richmond Valley – 46.16%

Clarence Valley – 38.39%

Kyogle – 37.40%

Lismore – 31.85%

Byron – 30.61%.