Page 3403 - Week 11 - Wednesday, 18 September 2013
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I acknowledge the good work. I congratulate the ESA and I extend these congratulations to the officers from TAMS, who have done a good job as well. But if we want them to continue to do a good job then we need to give them the tools.
Mr Rattenbury: You can’t help yourself. I just agreed to support your motion.
MR SMYTH: Sorry?
Mr Rattenbury: I agreed to support your motion and you’re still having a go at me. You cannot help yourself.
MR SMYTH: I thought you said you were not supporting the motion.
Mr Rattenbury: No, I said I’m supporting your motion. You can’t help yourself.
MR SMYTH: If you are going to support the motion, thank you. Thank you for that.
Mr Corbell: You weren’t paying attention. You’re just absolutely hopeless.
MR SMYTH: I apologise. He is going to vote for it. That is lovely. Thank you, Mr Rattenbury. Thank you. But it is a shame that the minister has taken this approach. It is a shame that Mr Corbell—
Mr Corbell: Well done, Brendan; well done.
MR SMYTH: I have apologised, Simon. You lack grace; you lack grace.
Mr Corbell: You lack attention.
MR SMYTH: No, I think it was ambiguous. I questioned him when he finished whether he was supporting it or not. But the problem for us is that we have an Attorney-General who acts as a minister for emergency services who does not want to do this. I thank Mr Rattenbury for his support. I compliment the staff of TAMS. They know they have my support as a former minister and they know from some of the work before the last election in saving the fire management unit that I believe in and support the work that they do. They know that.
I would thank Mr Rattenbury for his support. I would say to Mr Corbell that I think he needs to have a serious think about his approach to these issues. It is interesting there is a press release out—“Corbell accuses Liberals of ‘point scoring’ on bushfire management”—reported on the ABC. It is not point scoring when, one, you have not complied with the law. It is not point scoring when it would be hard now for the public to understand whether or not you actually are prepared for the fire season. It is impossible for the public to determine whether or not they have enough equipment and the resources to meet the season’s requirements.
It is interesting that Mr Corbell said that somehow I had grossly overstated what the Auditor-General had said. I will just finish with what the Auditor-General said:
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