Mr STIRLING - 1999-10-14
I seek leave to table a copy of key issues recommendations of a report on the Northern Territory Fire and Rescue Service staffing review conducted in 1998 by Professor Richard Blandy of AustralAsia Economics and the ACT Fire Commissioner, Jim Dance.
Leave granted.
Mr Stirling: In its very first recommendation, this report calls for the creation of 10 additional firefighting positions. In its response to the recommendation, the Northern Territory Fire Service says there have be no staff increases in the Northern Territory Fire and Rescue Service for 18 years, while the population of the Territory has grown considerably during that time. It goes on to say that during the same period fire calls have doubled. Will the minister explain why his government has been prepared to place the community at risk by failing to adequately staff this vital service, as called for in that report?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, it is nice to see that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition is at least trying to earn his keep and ask a question. He doesn’t do it very often.
The Northern Territory Fire Service is better resourced now than it ever has been. Conveniently, the honourable member overlooks the fact that we’re spending $7m over 5 years to virtually completely re-equip the fire service with new appliances which haven’t been provided over the last 18 years. Some of the vehicles, as I’ve told this House, are 17 years old and the equipment is being upgraded.
The honourable member, having been to the Clare Martin School of Deceit, gets up here and tries to paint the worst possible picture, conveniently forgetting or overlooking the fact that there is work being done in other areas, just as he did yesterday with the police numbers. He stood up here and as a statement of fact said, ‘Police are leaving in droves. This is terrible, and the government is not doing anything about it’, when in fact the attrition rate was 4.5%. About 33 officers had left, not including those who had retired. I am sorry I cannot do much about the ageing process. If we could we probably would. But when people reach retiring age, they retire. You get up and make statements of fact in this House which are subsequently proved to be incorrect.
Mrs Hickey interjecting.
Mr REED: The honourable former Leader of the Opposition, the member for Barkly, says: ‘Let’s look at the report’. Mind you, if we were here under her governance we would not be able to. Last night in parliament she said: ‘If we were in government, we would close business down before lunch. That is how lazy they are. That is you in Hansard last night. That is your effort. She stands up in this House ...
Ms MARTIN: A point of order, Mr Speaker! The minister was asked a very specific question about Fire Service staffing. He should be answering that very important question.
Mr SPEAKER: I would agree with the Leader of the Opposition if there were less interjection from her side of the House. But interjection often demands a response. If you were to keep the interjection down, I expect you would not have these sorts of outbursts.
Mr REED: The member for Barkly admits that under a Labor government parliament, each day it sits, would last for 2 hours or less. That’s the level of your commitment to this place and that is why your boss, the Leader of the Opposition, cannot be trusted.
Mr STIRLING: A point of order, Mr Speaker! If he is not going to answer the question, make him sit down so that we can get on with further questions. He can’t use up all of Question Time rabbiting on in this fashion. If he doesn’t have the answer - fine, he is a dill. He should sit down.
Mr SPEAKER: I have responded to that point of order. It is the same point of order that was raised just a short time ago. I ask the Deputy Chief Minister, though, to get on to the relevant answer as quickly as possible.
Mr REED: We’ve had occasions in this House, after the government has undertaken various reviews, just as we did with the Fire Service, when it suited the opposition to stand up and say: ‘These recommendations should be implemented in full’. Of course, when it doesn’t suit the Labor Party, they stand up and say: ‘What an awful report!’ And they have a long record of drawing little bits out to try to use for their own political advantage, selectively quoting from particular reports.
Members interjecting.
Mr REED: I am not going to shout over them. Reports on a range of issues across government are sought from consultants. The government receives them and, at what it considers to be an appropriate time taking into account the issues, the budgetary process and how the government conducts its business on behalf of Territorians, recommendations may be implemented. The Blandy report it is no different.
We are, as I say, moving to improve the equipment of the Fire Service. It provides a wonderful service to Territorians. When the government considers it appropriate, we will move to implement other measures. The government has to make decisions. The opposition don’t have to make decisions. All they have to do is pick up tomatoes and throw them, or make a bit of a noise to try and justify their existence. As for their ability to govern, we’d be knocking off by lunchtime according to the member for Barkly.
You want every report that’s before the government fully implemented. The government will set the priorities after making a full and careful assessment of what the requirements are, and do that within the confines of a budgetary situation that ensures that Territorians aren’t sent broke. We are not like your Labor colleagues in Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia, who sent their jurisdictions by just spending money willy-nilly. It is very easy for you to stand up and make your claims, deceitful as you are.
Leave granted.
Mr Stirling: In its very first recommendation, this report calls for the creation of 10 additional firefighting positions. In its response to the recommendation, the Northern Territory Fire Service says there have be no staff increases in the Northern Territory Fire and Rescue Service for 18 years, while the population of the Territory has grown considerably during that time. It goes on to say that during the same period fire calls have doubled. Will the minister explain why his government has been prepared to place the community at risk by failing to adequately staff this vital service, as called for in that report?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, it is nice to see that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition is at least trying to earn his keep and ask a question. He doesn’t do it very often.
The Northern Territory Fire Service is better resourced now than it ever has been. Conveniently, the honourable member overlooks the fact that we’re spending $7m over 5 years to virtually completely re-equip the fire service with new appliances which haven’t been provided over the last 18 years. Some of the vehicles, as I’ve told this House, are 17 years old and the equipment is being upgraded.
The honourable member, having been to the Clare Martin School of Deceit, gets up here and tries to paint the worst possible picture, conveniently forgetting or overlooking the fact that there is work being done in other areas, just as he did yesterday with the police numbers. He stood up here and as a statement of fact said, ‘Police are leaving in droves. This is terrible, and the government is not doing anything about it’, when in fact the attrition rate was 4.5%. About 33 officers had left, not including those who had retired. I am sorry I cannot do much about the ageing process. If we could we probably would. But when people reach retiring age, they retire. You get up and make statements of fact in this House which are subsequently proved to be incorrect.
Mrs Hickey interjecting.
Mr REED: The honourable former Leader of the Opposition, the member for Barkly, says: ‘Let’s look at the report’. Mind you, if we were here under her governance we would not be able to. Last night in parliament she said: ‘If we were in government, we would close business down before lunch. That is how lazy they are. That is you in Hansard last night. That is your effort. She stands up in this House ...
Ms MARTIN: A point of order, Mr Speaker! The minister was asked a very specific question about Fire Service staffing. He should be answering that very important question.
Mr SPEAKER: I would agree with the Leader of the Opposition if there were less interjection from her side of the House. But interjection often demands a response. If you were to keep the interjection down, I expect you would not have these sorts of outbursts.
Mr REED: The member for Barkly admits that under a Labor government parliament, each day it sits, would last for 2 hours or less. That’s the level of your commitment to this place and that is why your boss, the Leader of the Opposition, cannot be trusted.
Mr STIRLING: A point of order, Mr Speaker! If he is not going to answer the question, make him sit down so that we can get on with further questions. He can’t use up all of Question Time rabbiting on in this fashion. If he doesn’t have the answer - fine, he is a dill. He should sit down.
Mr SPEAKER: I have responded to that point of order. It is the same point of order that was raised just a short time ago. I ask the Deputy Chief Minister, though, to get on to the relevant answer as quickly as possible.
Mr REED: We’ve had occasions in this House, after the government has undertaken various reviews, just as we did with the Fire Service, when it suited the opposition to stand up and say: ‘These recommendations should be implemented in full’. Of course, when it doesn’t suit the Labor Party, they stand up and say: ‘What an awful report!’ And they have a long record of drawing little bits out to try to use for their own political advantage, selectively quoting from particular reports.
Members interjecting.
Mr REED: I am not going to shout over them. Reports on a range of issues across government are sought from consultants. The government receives them and, at what it considers to be an appropriate time taking into account the issues, the budgetary process and how the government conducts its business on behalf of Territorians, recommendations may be implemented. The Blandy report it is no different.
We are, as I say, moving to improve the equipment of the Fire Service. It provides a wonderful service to Territorians. When the government considers it appropriate, we will move to implement other measures. The government has to make decisions. The opposition don’t have to make decisions. All they have to do is pick up tomatoes and throw them, or make a bit of a noise to try and justify their existence. As for their ability to govern, we’d be knocking off by lunchtime according to the member for Barkly.
You want every report that’s before the government fully implemented. The government will set the priorities after making a full and careful assessment of what the requirements are, and do that within the confines of a budgetary situation that ensures that Territorians aren’t sent broke. We are not like your Labor colleagues in Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia, who sent their jurisdictions by just spending money willy-nilly. It is very easy for you to stand up and make your claims, deceitful as you are.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016