Page 376 - Week 02 - Thursday, 8 March 2007
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volunteer rank and file have also resigned, or simply not come back to training. The chief fire officer has now resigned in disgust. I have it on impeccable authority, minister, that he decided to resign immediately after the briefing that announced your latest restructure of the Emergency Services Agency. Why have you and your commissioner misled the ACT community as to the real position and, that is, that the chief fire officer resigned in disgust?
MR CORBELL: Mr Pratt does not know that that is the decision of Mr Prince. I assume Mr Pratt has not asked or spoken to Mr Prince to have that confirmed.
Opposition members interjecting—
MR CORBELL: It is an assumption on the part of Mr Pratt. I saw Mr Prince last night at a meeting where I was attending a meeting of the community fire unit representatives. Mr Prince was there. I spoke to Mr Prince and thanked him for his service and his commitment to the ACT Fire Brigade and to the community and expressed my view that I was very sad to see him leaving the organisation. He indicated to me that he had taken the decision that it was time for him to move on to other things in his life and we left the discussion at that.
Opposition members interjecting—
MR SPEAKER: Order! Members of the opposition!
MR CORBELL: Mr Speaker, I know that those opposite would like to think there is some sort of serious, devilish conspiracy at play here and the government is seeking to hide or cover up the reason for Mr Prince’s resignation. The reasons for Mr Prince’s decision to retire are entirely a matter for Mr Prince.
Mr Pratt: It depends on the circumstances, Simon. It might be a public interest.
MR SPEAKER: Order! Mr Pratt!
MR CORBELL: What is most undignified is Mr Pratt’s assumption that he knows why Mr Prince has taken the decision to retire. You are dragging Mr Prince into the political debate. He is not interested in engaging in that political debate. He has taken the decision to retire. That decision should be respected instead of the pathetic and undignified approach by Mr Pratt who leaps to the assumption that Mr Prince must be unhappy with me, or the government, or our political and government agenda. Perhaps it may just be that Mr Prince has decided to retire.
Mr Pratt: You blokes have treated him like bloody dirt.
MR CORBELL: I find it distasteful, Mr Pratt—
MR SPEAKER: Order! Mr Corbell, resume your seat. Mr Pratt, how many times do I have to call you to order to get you to quieten down? Mrs Dunne is on a warning now. I call Mr Corbell.
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