Guide 3 to NSW State Archives relating to Responsible Government - OCR - Flipbook - Page 223
A Guide to New South Wales State Archives relating to Responsible Government
Premier's Department
Letters received
CGS 12060
File 65/92: Insurance of Ministers and Members of
Parliament, 1950-65 (File 65/92)
CGS 12060,
File 65/92 in
[13/1080001]
The papers in [13/10800] date from 1961 to 1965 while those in
[13/10801] date from 1950 to 1962.
This bundle relates to personal accident insurance for Ministers of
the Crown and Members of Parliament, as well as for members of
Boards and Commissions and others who were not covered by the
Workers' Compensation Act.
Ministers of the Crown and Members of Parliament fell outside of
the provisions of the Workers' Compensation Act. In 1952 it was
decided that action be taken to insure Ministers of the Crown;
personal accident insurance policies in respect of each Minister
being taken out by the Treasurer and renewed each year with the
premiums being met by the Government. Some ten years later,
following Cabinet approval in September 1962, a scheme of
insurance was introduced for Members of Parliament, again with
the cost of premiums being met by the Government.
The coverage of the insurance scheme is detailed in a minute by
the Under Secretary of the Premier's Department dated
8 November 1965 in [13/10800]:
The scheme of personal accident insurance for Ministers and
Members of the Legislative Assembly provides 24-hours' cover
against accident (not sickness) and for the payment of lump
sums in respect of death or loss of sight or limbs. It also
provides for the payment of expenses incurred for medical,
hospital and ambulance attention. ... Unlimited payments ...
are payable in cases of total and permanent disablement
directly compelling the Insured to retire from the Legislative
Assembly or the Legislative Council within 12 months from the
date of the accident and continuing and directly preventing him
from seeking election to any House of Parliament, or from
engaging in any profession, business or occupation.
Included in [13/10800] are papers relating to: the question of the
Government arranging for the insurance of Members of the
Legislative Assembly to provide for the payment of compensation
should they receive injuries while performing their duties as
Members; the outline scheme developed by the GIO for accident
insurance for Members; representations on behalf of the former
Minister for Lands, Keith C Compton, injured in a car accident on
10 May 1965 after learning about his loss of the seat of Lismore;
providing the GIO with information about ages of Members, air
travel etc; setting up the scheme for Members; amounts and
types of compensation; and the consideration of the issue of
insurance for Members by a Cabinet Sub-Committee and Cabinet.
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State Records Authority of New South Wales
