Quality of Advice reviewer Michelle Levy has urged the Federal Government to take up her recommendations and work on any changes to the proposed measures, if they are needed, at a later stage. 
 
She says she worries her proposals are “languishing” after submitting her final report to the Albanese Government in December last year. The Government has said it will consult on the proposed measures before making its response. 
 
“I have been worrying a lot about the fate of the recommendations and the conversations that are happening behind closed doors,” Ms Levy told insuranceNEWS.com.au. 
 
“For the same reason the review was worth doing, I believe they are important and so I want to do everything I can to make sure the Quality of Advice Review doesn’t go the same way as the Henry Tax Review. 
 
“The only thing I have to work with are words and so I decided to write some more in an effort to persuade the Government to adopt them.” 
 
She penned an open letter last week making the case again for her list of proposed measures, including the creation of a “good advice” duty and expanding the definition of personal advice. 
 
Industry groups such as the Financial Services Council and Council of Australian Life Insurers have mostly backed her recommendations, but consumer advocates say her proposals will lead to weakened protections for Australians. 
 
Ms Levy says her report is “supported by reasons and evidence” and based on a “close examination of the law, long experience with its application and wide consultation”. 
 
She says she worries also about “bargains and compromises”, a situation that would mean “bad outcomes” for consumers. 
 
“And so I have put pen to paper (or more accurately set my fingers to work on the keyboard) to encourage… the Government to adopt the recommendations in my report. If they need some refinement it is better that that happens afterwards,” her letter says.