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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 14 Hansard (12 December) . . Page.. 4786 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

Some people have, presumably, accepted the invitation to move from an emergency service unit to a bush fire brigades unit. What do we do about those people? I am just not clear about that. I have to confess I did not talk to members about this. I thought this motion was transparently not going to be a sensible way to proceed. I say to members very clearly, "Please reconsider what we are doing about this".

We are halfway through a process. It was not announced at the beginning of the bushfire season; it was announced two months ago, at the end of a very long process of discussion and consultation within the Emergency Services Bureau with the people concerned. I just caution the Assembly against changing horses at this very late point. It is dangerous; it is going to result in some risk to the efficiency of our services. I would say we are not doing the bushfire and other services of this community any favours by taking this step.

I do ask members to at least consider bringing forward the hearings of this committee so that we can have a report by the first sitting day of February; that is two months away. It is a short period, I quite agree. But the people concerned are going to be in town. They are not people who go away on holidays; the people stay here to fight fires and to help out when there are emergencies. We are not going to lose people to the south coast in large numbers. I do not expect us to be having inquiries while bushfires are going on, but I am sure that there will be some opportunity to do that work over that period. I would suggest, Mr Speaker, it is important to make sure we are not left too much in the lurch by this process.

MR MOORE (11.09): I love the suggestion in the amendment of Mr Humphries to report not on the first sitting day in May but on the first sitting day in February. As I interjected quietly before, "What have we here? `Where are you on Christmas Day?'. `I am over appearing before a committee of the Assembly.' ". This is an absolutely ludicrous timeframe, considering the period over which it is based. It should be rejected out of hand.

Amendment negatived.

Motion (by Mr Berry) agreed to:

That the question be divided.

MR SPEAKER: The question now is: That paragraph (1) be agreed to.

MR OSBORNE (11.10): I am intrigued as to what the Labor Party is up to here.

Mr Moore: On a point of procedure, Mr Speaker: Can you clarify for me whether Mr Osborne is going to close the whole debate or just the debate on paragraph (1)?

MR SPEAKER: He will be closing the debate on paragraph (1).

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