Page 3310 - Week 10 - Thursday, 19 October 2006

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Our capability, our responsiveness and our training have far improved. Our ability to manage a significant disaster is well improved on what it was in 2003. Our ability to ensure that we reduce the risks of incidents such as major fires has been significantly enhanced. The amount of money this government spends on fire fuel reduction is enormous. It goes into the millions and millions of dollars—

Mr Pratt: Wasted.

MR CORBELL: It is wasted, is it, Mr Pratt?

Mr Pratt: A lot of it is.

MR CORBELL: Apparently, according to Mr Pratt, fire trails are wasted, hazard reduction burns are wasted, slashing is wasted and mowing is wasted. I will take great pleasure in informing everyone who lives around the urban interface that Mr Pratt thinks that mowing grass and burning away fire fuel is a waste—an absolute waste. That is what he has said. That is what he is on the record as saying. This government has made that investment. We stand by that investment and we know our community is safer for that investment.

Minister for Police and Emergency Services

Motion of censure

MR PRATT (Brindabella) (3.09): I seek leave to move a censure motion of Mr Corbell.

Leave granted.

MR PRATT: I move:

That the Minister for Police and Emergency Services be censured for:

(1) his failure to:

(a) adequately prepare the ACT for the 2006/2007 bushfire season;

(b) ensure that the RFS fleet was adequately prepared for the season;

(d) have the trunk radio network and firelink fully operational as promised;

(e) adequately fund and staff the number of community fire units required; and

(f) adequately establish the new headquarters at Fairbairn; and

(2) having misled the community through his words that we are “light years ahead” of previous years in relation to bushfire preparedness.

There is a definite case being presented here today to censure Mr Corbell for misleading the members of the Assembly and, more importantly, ACT residents on the government’s ability to adequately prepare our city and its surrounds for the threat of bushfire. There is a litany of poor decisions made by this government, which has in no

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