Government will consider disaster insurance

We know our life can not avoid from a disaster, so that is a great news when our Government will consider disaster insurance. How about your country ? They aware about disaster insurance or not?

You need following the Federal government in this case I mean. The federal government will consider forcing states to take up disaster insurance to qualify for reconstruction funding. The proposal has been put forward by independent senator Nick Xenophon, who the government is relying on to get its $1.8 billion floods levy through parliament. Treasurer Wayne Swan says Senator Xenophon raises a "legitimate question".
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"I think that's perfectly reasonable," he told Network Ten on Sunday.

"It's probably timely for us to evaluate (the proposal) ... (to) see what the implications are for the future.

"We will continue to speak to the senator (Xenophon) ... I hope it (floods levy) has his support."

Senator Xenophon says there would have been no need for the levy if Queensland had taken out the appropriate insurance before the floods and cyclone Yasi.

He rejected suggestions state insurance is not value for money, noting that the Queensland government was offered insurance in 2000 for around $50 million.

"If the Queensland government acted reasonably at that time we wouldn't be talking about a floods levy or budget cutbacks," he told the Nine Network.

"If I support this floods levy I want to make sure this is the last time Australian taxpayers have to pay a disaster levy."

Senator Xenophon says he's encouraged by media reports the government may consider slashing reconstruction funding for states without disaster insurance.

"There ought to be a system in place where states have a huge disincentive," he said, noting that Tasmania, NT and the ACT are also without insurance.

"Now's the time to fix this up so that Australian taxpayers aren't left with a future bill for any other natural disasters."

Senator Xenophon will also consider sending the levy to a short Senate inquiry, which he estimates should only take one day to consider.

The levy is part of the $5.6 billion floods reconstruction package put forward by the federal government.

Treasurer Wayne Swan defended the package, saying a "pay as we go" approach was needed to ensure the budget was returned to surplus in 2012/13.

He refused to speculate where the savings would be made, but played down speculation of cuts to so called middle-class welfare, including family payments.

"I have always been a very strong supporter of our family payments system, I don't describe our family payment system as middle-class welfare," he told Network Ten.

Finance Minister Penny Wong said although the government had been forced to reinstate money stripped from teaching and solar programs in order to win support for the levy, the budget would be returned to surplus in 2012/13 as promised.

"What we've said around the arrangements we've entered into with (Tasmanian independent Andrew) Wilkie and the Greens is that we will find additional savings through the budget process to reflect those arrangements," she told Sky News.

"I have no doubt that this is going to be a difficult process ... but we are very clear about this - it is the government's intention to bring the budget back to surplus."

Senator Wong said Labor would discuss the issue of state disaster insurance with Senator Xenophon.

Australian Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young said she didn't want the government to cut other important services now the Solar Flagships program and Australian Learning and Teaching Council grants had been taken off the chopping block.

"An extra $100 million could come from the Carbon Capture and Storage program, that's a place (extra savings) could come from," she told ABC Television.

soure:http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/govt-will-consider-disaster-insurance-20110220-1b0p0.html