Page 4782 - Week 16 - Thursday, 29 November 1990
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MRS GRASSBY: I am sure Mr Tony De Domenico, a member of the Liberal Party, will be pleased to hear that said about him.
The second amendment will replace the new section 5Q with a similar provision from the Fire Brigade Act. While the Government's suggested amendment is reasonable, I believe that section 9 of the Fire Brigade Act expresses the intention more clearly.
I hope that the Government is prepared to give serious consideration to my amendments which are made in good faith. If it does, I am sure that it will come to the realisation that the path it has chosen is full of financial dangers and poses serious problems for rural firefighters. The Government's actions may even, in the long run, lead to the demise of the bush fire brigades. I hope that the Government accepts these amendments.
I have a lot of wonderful praise for people who fight bushfires. I lived in a country town myself, and I have worked on many a bag line and many a bucket line in a bushfire. Some of the most wonderful people volunteer to do this work, and they are quite prepared to do it. Under this Bill we will find it very hard to get people to do this job as volunteers. I am wondering what the Government really has at the back of its mind and what it is trying to organise.
I just say to the Government that it should think very clearly before it goes ahead with this Act. As I say, I have a lot of admiration for the bushfire fighters, and I congratulate them on the wonderful work they have done. We are now coming into a very serious time of the year for bushfires.
Mr Moore: With all the long grass around.
MRS GRASSBY: We have seen them through New South Wales. Mr Michael Moore has just reminded me of all the long grass. I am sure we should be very worried about this. I would now like to say that I commend the representatives from the Parks and Conservation Service sitting in the gallery. They do a very good job, with very little money, to try to cut all the grass. They do their very best. Of course, it is up to the Minister to make that decision. I would like to table the amendments that the Labor Party proposes to this Bill. Mr Speaker, may I have leave to table these amendments so that they can be circulated?
Leave granted.
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