NIBA / Special Feature
profession for years to come: the evolution of NIBA’s advocacy work in Canberra. “While NIBA’s presence has always been strong with Australian government representatives, the engagement of advocacy support through our government relations partners Counsel House has elevated the voice of insurance broking,” Gary says. That shift is significant because it has amplified the strength and the reach of NIBA’s advocacy. “This has seen us escalate our voice on behalf of our clients across Australia,” he says. “And that’s the key point. it’s not just an industry voice for its own sake. It’s a client-led voice,” Gary adds. He points to the issue of affordability and availability of insurance as a clear example of where the advocacy efforts have made a difference. “One key area is how brokers are now part of discussions to find solutions to the affordability and availability of insurance,” Gary says. “While the resilience message has been led by the Insurance Council of Australia, NIBA’s advocacy work has delivered a different client-led voice in Canberra on this very important issue for all Australians,” he adds. That distinction is central to how he sees the profession’s role in public policy. Brokers don’t just understand insurance settings at a market level; they understand how those settings affect real clients in real communities. “We hear directly from clients every day, be it households, small or large businesses,” he says. “We hear where the pressure points are, what’s working, what’s not, and what support people need,” he says. In Gary’s view, that makes brokers uniquely placed to contribute to policy conversations in a practical, evidence-informed way. “The broker voice is grounded in lived client experience,” he says. “It’s based on what people are telling us and what we are helping them navigate.” He believes the profession now has an opportunity and a responsibility to build on this momentum.
One of the turning points was the engagement of Deloitte Access Economics. Okely describes that decision as pivotal. “The engagement of Deloitte Access Economics was also pivotal in creating a very positive view of how insurance brokers add real value to their clients and the communities we operate within,” Gary says. “The research gave us a stronger, evidence- based way to talk about what brokers do every day. It helped ensure the profession was seen for what it is: a professional risk advice sector that delivers positive outcomes for so many Australians.” For members, he believes the practical impact was significant. It helped preserve confidence during a period of uncertainty, while also strengthening the profession’s position in policy and regulatory discussions. The COVID-19 Years and a Profession That Emerged Stronger If the Royal Commission tested the profession’s positioning, COVID-19 tested its resilience. Gary speaks about that period with deep admiration for how the broking community responded. “The amazing work NIBA did to support and engage the insurance broking community during the COVID-19 era is something I reflect on very positively. And what was just as impressive was how the profession bounced back even stronger after the country opened up.” He credits NIBA’s role in helping maintain that sense of connection during a fragmented time. “Support and engagement really mattered during COVID-19,” he says. “NIBA helped keep the profession connected, and that was incredibly important.” A Stronger Voice in Canberra The third major accomplishment Okely highlights is one he believes will shape the
“NIBA’s advocacy efforts have picked up pace. I’m a firm believer that we need to continue this momentum so that insurance brokers continue to have a leading voice at the table when critical issues relating to insurance are negotiated and decided.” Why Self-Regulation Matters On the Code Review and self-regulation, Gary is direct and unequivocal. “The importance of self-regulation to the insurance broking profession should never be underestimated,” he says. Gary makes the underlying point that a sector achieves better outcomes when it acts early and leads from within. “Having worked with many different public sector entities and enterprises, one of my key observations from government engagement is that the best outcomes are achieved when action occurs well ahead of future discussions,” he says. In the context of broking, that means not waiting for government to define the profession’s standards or direction. “When dealing with government on regulatory change in insurance broking, we must not wait, so we don’t end up reacting to what governments think. We must be proactively leading to achieve positive outcomes for the profession and our clients.” That phrase, “proactively leading”, captures his philosophy on self-regulation. It is about demonstrating leadership, maturity and accountability. “To ensure that we lead on the right issues, it is critical that NIBA and the broking community work together to continually identify emerging trends,” he says. “By listening to our clients and to broader community expectations, we can ensure the Code continues to evolve over time in the areas that support our clients.”
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