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MTAA SUPERANNUATION SEMINAR 
Tuesday 20 May 2008
6.30pm - 8.30pm
Realm Hotel, 18 National Circuit, Barton ACT
Everyone wants a comfortable retirement, but not everyone knows how to get there.
MTAA Super invite you and a guest to attend a free seminar aimed at helping you plan for a better financial future.
The seminar will be of benefit to anyone who would like to develop a better understanding of their superannuation and topics covered will include:
- Features and benefits of MTAA Super
- Making contributions, including salary sacrifice and voluntary contributions
- Lump sum withdrawals and superannuation pensions
- Retirement planning
MTAA Super is committed to providing members with access to information that can assist them in making informed decisions about their financial future.
Book your place now!
Call MTAA Super on 1300 362 415 RSVP before 13 May 2008
EMPLOYMENT RELATIONS UPDATE
Pharmacists issuing Medical Certificates
To be entitled to a period of personal leave (i.e. sick or carer's leave), an employee must give the employer, if required by the employer, a medical certificate from a registered health practitioner or if this is not reasonably practicable, a statutory declaration made by the employee.
Under the Workplace Relations Act a 'registered health practitioner' means a health practitioner licensed under a state or territory law. In all states of Australia, Pharmacists are recognised as registered health practitioners.
The issue of pharmacists issuing medical certificates has arisen in the media recently and members should be aware that certificates issued by pharmacists are valid documentation for sick or carer's leave.
The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, in conjunction with the Pharmacy Guild of Australia has recently produced a list of guidelines for pharmacists issuing medical certificates. The guidelines state that a pharmacist should only issue medical certificates for minor conditions and for the certificates to be issued for only a short period of time. A pharmacist is under no obligation to issue a medical certificate if they feel the diagnosis of the person or the caring responsibilities is outside their scope of practice.
CGU MOTOR TRADES 
Profile : Laurie White
Laurie White is the Business Insurance Executive for CGU MotorTrades, and is responsible for the portfolio management throughout the ACT and entire South Coast of NSW.
Laurie returned to live in the ACT after working with CGU MotorTrades in Western Australia for a number of years. He has been involved in the Commercial Insurance Industry for the past 35 years, starting off in Sydney with Claims before moving onto an Underwriting role. He also spent some time in Newcastle, where his sales and portfolio management took off. That was almost 22 years ago, and Laurie has never looked back since !
Laurie gained a transfer back to the ACT in 1990, so he knows the region exceptionally well. He again moved over to W.A. to join CGU MotorTrades, and developed a keen insight into the many aspects of the motoring industry.
Laurie’s direct portfolio responsibility for the ACT involves a myriad of occupations, and they range from self-employed Mechanical operator right up to the largest of multi-franchised Dealerships.
There’s never any question about Laurie’s loyalty to his customers and CGU MotorTrades.
To quote Laurie …..
”I work for my customers, and I pride myself on a high level of professional service and expertise. These tools of trade allow me to focus on the Motor Trade Policies for MotorTrade businesses, and my customers can always rely on my ability to service their Insurance needs. I truly do make myself available 24 hours a day, and it’s absolutely mandatory that I visit them at least twice a year (minimum) whether it be for a Policy review or simply to call in for a visit !
Laurie’s hobbies include him as a Rugby League tragic, where he was fortunate enough to play Grade League with the Western Suburbs Magpies in Sydney. His other passions are for Cricket, Tennis and Swimming.
Unfortunately, Laurie had to leave Golf out of his participation sports - as many of you will remember his most-recent endeavours at Gold Creek at last year’s MTA Golf Day. Ironically, one of Laurie’s playing partners dared to suggest that the ‘teeing mat’ actually went further than the ball !
Laurie lives and works in the ACT, and he’s never anymore than a phone call away.
He can be contacted on Mobile : 0408 – 925842 or email : Laurie.White@iag.com.au
THEFT TORQUE
Repairable write-offs under the microscope
The National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council is about to commence a review into the way Australia manages its written-off vehicles. The opportunities that the current practices provide for organised criminals and unlicensed repairers and traders to launder stolen parts or on-sell shoddily repaired vehicles has become a major concern.
Currently, under the national framework developed by the NMVTRC, any damaged vehicle declared by an insurer to be a total loss must be classified as either a Statutory Write-Off (SWO) or Repairable Write-Off (RWO). Where an SWO may be sold under the condition that it can be used only for parts, RWOs may be repaired and re-registered providing they pass specific safety and identification inspections. The 'banning' of SWOs has clearly had a significant impact on preventing traditional care rebirthing practices. However, the concern lies in the purchasing of RWOs by unlicensed repairers or motor car traders and criminals, who rebuild vehicles with stolen parts or sub-standard repair techniques.
In the current environment of greatly reduced retail values for non-damaged vehicles, the economic viability of safety repairing them with legitimate parts is, on the NMVTRC's preliminary assessment, extremely marginal. Some experts currently estimate that up to six in 10 RWOs presented for re-registration have been repaired with suspect parts.
The re-registration of RWOs also poses concerns for consumer safety and access to information about a vehicle's history. Vehicles may be shoddily repaired, making the car unreliable and risking the safety of unsuspecting buyers. If the vehicle contains stolen parts there is also the risk to consumers of having the car confiscated as evidence as part of the criminal investigation process.
The review will take the form of an expert, independent cost-benefit analysis of reforming the current regime to close-off criminal (and unlicensed repairer/trader) access to target vehicles. The review will examine a range of options across the continuum from improving the effectiveness of current procedures through to the voluntary remocal of write-offs from public auction, to a partial or absolute ban on their re-registration.
The frist stage of the review will focus on gathering key industry data and completing select consultation to refine the options to be fully evaluated and is expected to be completed by mid-year.
Article courtesy National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council
FOR SALE 
1 X Brett Mitchell Spray Booth
This unit has a full down draught prep bay that were both built new in 1997 and has only had part time use for 3 years.
Price? - best offer.
Please contact Daniel Fuller, Fuller Brothers Body Works on 0412 269 587 for more information and additional digital pictures.
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