Whether you support greyhound racing ore are dead against it, the voters in the Orange electorate should not lose sight of the ability of byelections to control what comes out of Macquarie Street. The State Government has announced and implemented policies with little or token discussion, debate or flexibility. This has been the direct result of the Government's own perception and invincibility.

Politicians can be wrong. In fact, they can be wrong a lot of the time. 

There are many Government policies currently being contemplated or implemented many of which affect only Sydney and particularly Western Sydney which seems to contain bellwether electorates that can change the political fortunes of those who stand to represent us. 

There is, however, a sleeper issue which affects everyone in NSW including the good voters of Orange which the Government hopes will remain a sleeper issue. 

That issue is the Government's unshakable determination to reduce green slip premiums. If you think there's not much wrong with paying less, think again. Most people only think about green slip insurance and its cost when the car needs to be registered. If the changes are made almost everyone injured in a motor vehicle accident will lose benefits. 

Already about 90 per cent of car accident victims receive nothing for pain and suffering, even for long disabilities, such as for spinal fractures and arm, shoulder and leg fractures.

Every car accident victim – including the seriously injured – already has limited benefits for the need for nursing or domestic assistance irrespective of actual need and any future losses of any kind are subject to a discount that results in under compensation in every case. These restrictions are already in the legislation and it is cheaper to insure the people I might hurt with my car than to insure my car. 

The guaranteed way to cut premiums is to cut benefits. The Government knows this and so do insurers because it worked in workers compensation. Thousands of injured workers were denied benefits and sent to the Centrelink queue. No one miraculously recovered. 

Just like workers compensation, insurers will have the power to decide what treatment you can have and when, what you can receive for lost time from work regardless of your actual loss and when to cut you off.

Insurers pay bonuses and commissions to claims officers who deny claims and stop benefits. Doctors will be told by insurers how to treat their patients; this is happening every day under the current scheme. For 90 per cent of injured people there will be no entitlement to any help after five years and probably sooner.

For future knee replacement or back surgery, try the Medicare queue. If you have to reduce your hours of work, try the Centrelink queue to pay the mortgage of the rent.

The changes will make it harder to get legal advice or help. Insurers, on the other hand, have ready access to legal advice. 

Why would the Government want to remove support from accident victims? Only to reduce green slip premiums which it sees as a vote winner. Everyone is in favour of cheaper premiums, until they get hurt.