Page 331 - Week 01 - Thursday, 11 February 2010
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underway into asbestos management in the ACT. That review has not been completed yet, but it may—not wanting to pre-empt that review—involve some changes to how we manage general asbestos management issues across the territory. But as to the specifics, I would have to check on that. Essentially what we are waiting for—and I was briefed on this this morning—is for this review to be completed and then implemented.
MR SPEAKER: Ms Le Couteur, a supplementary?
MS LE COUTEUR: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Minister, has the government received any further complaints about asbestos handling in the ACT since the Pickles auction house incident and, if you have, has this resulted in any stricter conditions on operators?
MR CORBELL: I am not aware of any new complaints following the Pickles incident. The Pickles incident certainly prompted some renewed complaints about matters that occurred before that incident, but I am not aware of any new complaints, to the best of my knowledge. Therefore, the second part of your question, Ms Le Couteur, does not apply.
Home insulation program
MR HANSON: My question is to the Attorney-General. Attorney, I refer to your press release dated 26 May 2009 entitled “Stay safe, stay alive this winter”. In this press release you sought to warn the ACT community about the dangers of fire caused by unattended cooking, portable heaters and lint filters in clothes dryers. However, this release fails to mention the potential fire danger of the insulation in homeowners’ ceilings. Attorney, why did your fire warning press release ignore this danger that the government was aware of since at least April 2009?
MR CORBELL: Believe it not, Mr Speaker, fires can start from a lot of causes. In relation to the winter fire safety warning, I issued those warnings on the advice of the ACT Fire Brigade. The ACT Fire Brigade approached me as the responsible minister and said, “We wish to conduct a winter fire safety campaign. Minister, will you launch this campaign for us?” Of course I said, “Yes, I will. Please provide me with the information I need to issue this warning.” The ACT Fire Brigade provided me with that information and I issued the warning, consistent with the Fire Brigade’s advice.
I am not an expert in fire safety. I rely on the advice of the people who are—the ACT Fire Brigade. The information contained in my statement was drawn from and provided to me by the ACT Fire Brigade. If Mr Hanson has a problem with what I say in relation to my winter fire safety warnings, I am very happy for him to sit down with the officers from the ACT Fire Brigade. I will get him to chastise them on the fact that they missed this incredibly important point that Mr Hanson felt should have been in there.
Mr Speaker, I stand by the advice I received from the ACT Fire Brigade. The ACT Fire Brigade are a very professional fire service. They are highly skilled investigators
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