NSW Premier Bob Carr will introduce the Personal Responsibility Bill, which will set the limits of the law of negligence, in September. And while he’s too clever to demand lower premiums outright, he certainly wants to see prompt responses of some sort from the insurance industry.

He told the Channel Nine Sunday program that it will take some time before the insurance markets are “stabilised”, and that the principle of responsibility “in our law and in our courts” will be pursued to help it happen.

Mr Carr said it is up to all the states to reform the laws of negligence. And insurers? He said the ACCC should be given the power to “insist” that insurance companies provide their customers with an explanation for any increases in premiums.

He suggested insurers should provide “plain English contracts” combined with an explanation of long-term premium trends and reinsurance. Experts’ opinions yesterday: It’s not impossible, but it would only be 30 per cent reliable, and even then only sometimes.

Also on the Carr ideas agenda: a no-faults compensation scheme for catastrophically injured people. He said a no-fault scheme, possibly funded by a small increase in the Medicare levy, would result in a “big policy hole being filled”.

“There are 455 people a year in Australia who suffer serious spinal or brain injury. Those people should not have to go through the process of suing before they get a commitment that enables them to live decent lives,” Mr Carr said.