Page 604 - Week 03 - Thursday, 15 March 2007
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
MR SMYTH: He has failed in the land release policy—
Mr Stanhope: It is not appropriate—
MR SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Stanhope: I note—
MR SMYTH: He has failed on City Hill.
Mr Stanhope: Mr Speaker, on the point of order: I know it is broad ranging but the motion does not go to Mr Corbell’s performance in relation to health. To suggest that he was removed from health as a result of the CFR is simply not true. I do not believe it is appropriate—
MR SPEAKER: Order! That is not a point of order; it is a debating point.
Mr Stanhope: Why is it not a point of order?
MR SPEAKER: Order! It is a debating point. Mr Smyth raises these issues in the context of the debate. He says that, because Mr Corbell exited other portfolios, that is a justification for him exiting this portfolio—I think. That is relevant. I do not know how much weight it carries, but—
MR SMYTH: Then we can look at what has happened in ESA since this minister took up the portfolio, having been removed from education and then removed from health. What has he done in the last eight or 10 months in emergency services? We have got a reform process that has been comprehensively rejected by everyone involved except the minister and the commissioner. We have got a consultation process. The commissioner says that one of his key objectives is to “engage and value our people through careful and considered consultation, acknowledging a work-life balance and acting in an ethical way to all”. What did the volunteers say this morning? They said, “We weren’t listened to; we weren’t heard; we weren’t asked.”
Under the minister, we have the continuing headquarters debacle; we are paying rent on empty buildings. Three out of four of the buildings are empty. Another debacle. We have the loss of senior staff. Since the minister came to the control of ESA, seven senior staff have left the Emergency Services Authority—the former commissioner, the former deputy commissioner, a former commissioner of the fire brigade, the head of the fire brigade and his deputy CO. We have seen the head and deputy head of the rural fire service go. They are voting with their feet. We have seen a lack of equipment. We have seen a fleet not ready for the fire season, where half the heavy capacity of the rural fire brigade was off the road as fires were burning on the perimeter of the ACT. We have seen a lack of training funds and opportunity for training. A group of volunteers was to go to Sydney for training and the funds were withdrawn at the last moment. Who paid for it? The New South Wales Rural Fire Service is subsidising it.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .