Mark Butler (Port Adelaide, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Part of my pride in representing the Port Adelaide electorate is because of their belief in community, their human warmth and their commitment to help those in need. I was therefore appalled and shocked to learn of the treatment received by one of my constituents when she was at her most vulnerable. Last year Julie Kimpton lost her son to suicide. This terrible tragedy befalls far too many Australian families. In 2005 suicide was the cause of more than one-fifth of deaths for males between the ages of 20 and 34. Ricki Kimpton was 32 when he died. His mother describes him as a gentle soul with a kindness and compassion that filled her with admiration and maternal pride. Whilst those of us who have not lost a loved one through suicide can probably never fully understand the pain and grief suffered by those who have, it only takes a modicum of empathy to appreciate the emotional devastation suicide leaves behind, and it should only take a modicum of human decency to treat the bereaved with respect and care.

As administrator of her son’s estate, Julie was responsible for cancelling his car insurance. Naturally, she wanted to get this painful transaction completed as soon as possible. Within days of his death she visited the local branch of the Australian Central Credit Union that held his bank accounts and supplied his insurance. She was sobbing in the queue, but no special care was taken and she had to notify them of his death at a public counter. Less than a week later she returned with the identity documents and proof of death they required. Although she had been there in person, the company still posted out their authority form a few days later. Julie returned the completed form in the reply paid envelope. Cancellation on request is a term of the policy. Julie had the authority to cancel it, had clearly intended to do so and had produced the necessary paperwork. She quite reasonably believed that this painful duty was over. This was in July 2007.

On 13 July 2007, the Funeral Assistance Program, with the Public Trustee’s authority, faxed the ACCU, instructing them to freeze the account and to remit the funds to them as payment towards the funeral expenses. For the next 15 months, the company continued to deduct the insurance premiums despite Julie’s repeated attempts to have the policy cancelled. When she received renewal notices in early November 2007 addressed to her son, she contacted them. The deductions continued. In late November, she received a letter from the ACCU offering their sincere condolences and asking her to advise them when she was ready to cancel the policy. She contacted them and, using their reply paid envelope, she posted them another authority. The deductions continued. Again and again a grieving mother was forced to go through the trauma of dismantling her dead child’s affairs. Again and again her requests were ignored.

In September this year the company started sending arrears notices addressed to her son. They had drained the account. Julie believes her final visit was the fifth visit she had made to the branch. She met with the sales manager and explained how distressing it had been to receive their letters and she explained that she had been trying to have this policy cancelled for over a year. The manager told her she had no reason to be upset as she was getting what she wanted: ACCU was finally cancelling the policy. A few days later, Julie received a letter addressed to her son saying that the policy had been cancelled for non-payment of funds. In response to my letter to the company, ACCU claimed to have investigated this matter. Their self-serving, deceptive findings make a mockery of their promise to review procedures. All they have done is emphasise their culture of profit before basic human decency, business before ethics and their misplaced belief that insincere platitudes can substitute for action.

Julie Kimpton has suffered a terrible loss. She was caused further pain by, at best interpretation, the callous disregard of the ACCU and its representatives. She deserved better. Our society must demand better and pursuit of the dollar should never be an excuse. All Julie wants now is to try to stop anyone else receiving the same treatment, and I intend to do all I can to help her.