Page 2539 - Week 10 - Tuesday, 13 October 1992
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
We said that that was foolish and rigid and we have provided that there be a first response capability so that, on either side of the lake, while one service has prime responsibility the other service provides a backup.
That does depend on a level of goodwill and two disciplined services that comply with their directions. The direction that each service advise the other has been clearly given. In one instance we have evidence that those directions were not followed. The Chief Police Officer has acknowledged that that was unacceptable. As a government, I find that unacceptable, as would all members. The Chief Police Officer is dealing with that. I am confident that the flexibility that was introduced into the system by this Labor Government, from an overly rigid Alliance system, will provide a better service for the Canberra community; and we are talking here about a quality service, not only about dollar savings.
MR WESTENDE (3.26): Madam Speaker, it is most important, I think, that we emphasise that the health and welfare of persons concerned in and involved in accidents is the first consideration. Taking into account the explanation that the Minister has just given and not knowing the entire background, it is not my duty to take sides with either the police or the Fire Brigade. But one must question, as the Minister has done, whether we should have the duplication of equipment and the associated heavy costs.
Madam Speaker, on all the issues that I have addressed since becoming a member of the Assembly I have advocated a commonsense approach. It is the way I have run business and it is the way the Government must run its business. The Fire and Emergency Services area could not be a better case in point. This is an area where people's lives are at stake and there can be no room for imprecision of procedures, ineffective communications channels, untrained emergency personnel or, indeed, lack of sufficient funding to produce the level of service necessary. These are areas that must be addressed and, if I heard the Minister correctly, they are being addressed, as a matter of urgency, particularly when it requires the cooperation of the AFP, the Fire Brigade and the Ambulance Service.
The only way that these services can work together effectively is through the preparation of clear and precise guidelines and procedures. Agreements and general understandings on matters that require very decisive and precise responses are not enough. There can be no room for subjective judgment or opinion. There can certainly be no room for rivalry between various emergency services, whoever they may be. If there are any impediments in the management of handling emergency situations, they should be dealt with as a matter of urgency. This should be done, taking into consideration the concerns of each of the emergency services; but where there are areas of disagreement the Government simply must exercise leadership and power and implement firm procedures. This is simply a matter of Mr Connolly putting his two heads together. All he needs to do is make a decision and stick by it. It should be made known that any departure from those procedures would be taken very seriously.
The procedural side of things is only part of the story. We have to be very sure that our emergency services personnel are properly trained to handle the diversity of emergency situations that arise. This means that all the emergency services personnel have to be equally trained and be equally effective and
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .