Family First's Jane Foreman says new Roads Minister Paul Hamer's admission that the government will review Victoria's pothole compensation scheme, hours after the Herald Sun exposed a 98 per cent rejection rate, is total vindication of the case she has been making since July — and further proof of the value Family First's independent, common sense voice will bring to the Legislative Council.
Mrs Foreman says Mr Hamer confirmed on Wednesday that he has asked his department to review whether the scheme, which rejected 1786 of 1809 compensation claims in the past two financial years and paid out just 23 drivers, "remains fit for purpose." Asked directly if the $1681 claims threshold would be lifted, Mr Hamer would not commit to any changes before the review was finished.
"This is total vindication," said Mrs Foreman. "When my husband and I hit a pothole driving to the Gold Coast in July, our car was towed to Wangaratta, then to Melbourne after an eight-week repair wait, and we ended up booking flights instead."
"I said then that this compensation scheme was built to say no. Today, a Minister has admitted he needs to check if the legislation is even fit for purpose — but a review with no promised outcome is not good enough for the 1786 Victorians already knocked back."
Family First raised this exact scheme on 19 July, when Mrs Foreman first went public with her own experience and called the rebate on offer "a slap in the face." She says a review announced only hours after the Herald Sun forced the government's hand is proof this government polices itself only when it's caught out.
Family First is calling on Mr Hamer to make his review fully independent and public, commit to a firm reporting date, and guarantee the $1681 threshold will be lowered rather than merely "looked into."
Mrs Foreman says today's backflip is further evidence Victoria needs Family First's genuinely independent voice holding this government to account in the Legislative Council after November — because it took public pressure, not good governance, to get this far.
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