Page 3163 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 24 September 2014
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
On the issue of emergency services, if those basics are, in some cases, lifesaving basics or property saving basics, we must have a system that works for the people of the ACT. This is a minister who has lost planning twice. He has lost it again to Mr Gentleman. It was an interesting decision there. It is a minister who does not concentrate on basics and does not do them well. It is a minister who does not seem particularly interested in ESA.
He is there for the photo shoot. We had the advice from Ms Berry that ministers only turn up for photos. This is the photo shoot ESA minister. He is there for the photos when the new tankers arrive, the good gear is there or there is a building to open. But to allow this toxic culture to occur in the ACT Ambulance Service for now almost two years is a disgrace. And I have spoken to a number of fire officers who are still concerned that they have not been cleared, that the issues regarding misogynistic, sexist and bullying behaviour in the fire and rescue service still hang over them because they have not been cleared, because this minister has not done his job properly.
That is the problem for these officers. They are in stressful jobs as it is. They go to places that most of us do not want to go to. They do jobs that most of us would not dream of doing as a regular job. And they do them incredibly well, to their credit. But they are being let down by this government, and in particular by this minister, who has ignored his responsibilities, who has abrogated his responsibility, because he has got more interesting toys like train sets to play with. (Time expired.)
MR CORBELL (Molonglo—Attorney-General, Minister for Police and Emergency Services, Minister for the Environment and Minister for Capital Metro) (5.25): I move the amendment to Mr Smyth’s motion which I have had circulated in my name:
Omit all words after “That this Assembly”, substitute:
“(1) notes that, in relation to the Emergency Services Agency (ESA) matters:
(a) a review into the ACT Ambulance Service (ACTAS) culture, announced last year, is well underway and expected to be completed later this year. This review has involved wide ranging engagement with staff and stakeholders and will include recommendations to support the organisation going forward;
(b) contrary to claims made by the Opposition, ACTAS is not using an outdated electronic patient care record system. VACIS version 2.3.1 is the latest electronic software version to record patient care;
(c) the Government is working closely with ACTAS personnel and the relevant union to rectify delays in procuring new uniforms caused by successful tenderers going into liquidation and, more recently, supplied equipment not meeting prescribed standards;
(d) 56 Phillips, MRx Cardiac Monitor Defibrillators were procured under an open tender process by ACTAS in 2012-13. After a recall by the manufacturer of the monitor batteries, a progressive rollout of new batteries was undertaken and has been completed;
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video