Mr GUNNER - 2013-12-04
You are the Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Services and responsible for the health and safety of our firefighters. Four Territory firefighters are fighting cancer, but the Deputy Chief Minister has said he will not consider their situation, including running out of sick leave, until a complete review of workers compensation is complete.
As both Chief Minister and the minister responsible, you can seek a resolution for these four Territory firefighters now. South Australia and Western Australia have passed legislation which looks after their firefighters, joining the Commonwealth and Tasmania.
Your government is failing our frontline workers: teachers, nurses and firefighters. Firefighters have lodged an application for protected action. Will you, in a demonstration of good faith, agree to work with TIO to help these four Territory firefighters suffering from cancer?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, as the shadow minister knows, the Deputy Chief Minister is reviewing, within the purview of his responsibilities as Minister for Business. We are very sympathetic to the issues these four firefighters are dealing with. We are looking at other legislation and Senate reports in Australia and around the world. The review will identify the way we should move forward. I am very happy for you to get some information from the Deputy Chief Minister. However, I ask the Deputy Chief Minister to provide an update on where the review is up to.
Mr TOLLNER: Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Fannie Bay for the question. It is sad, the way Labor wants to play politics with this issue. For 11 years, Labor had the opportunity to do something for firefighters. On coming into government, we immediately started a review of WorkSafe and all of the practices around workers rehabilitation and compensation. The firefighters are part of that review.
As I said in this Chamber some time ago, we have sympathy for the plight of firefighters, but things have to be done across the board, and we are looking at all occupations, not just firefighters. There is a range of questions which was not answered by the previous government and …
Ms FYLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. It was a very direct question. In good faith for these firefighters, will you agree to work with TIO right now to help them, as they are suffering from cancer? Yes or no?
Mr TOLLNER: I do not know whether the member for Nightcliff is deaf, but I have just said we are completely reviewing workers compensation and rehabilitation. TIO is involved in that. They have been consulted. This is not just about firefighters; this is about workers across the board.
Ms FYLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. It is about firefighters who have run out of sick leave.
Madam SPEAKER: That is not a point of order.
Mr TOLLNER: She has cloth ears, Madam Speakers.
Ms Fyles: I have cloth ears, but you need to support them.
Mr TOLLNER: The fact is …
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, please pause. Member for Nightcliff, you were on a warning. Please leave the Chamber for one hour, pursuant to Standing Order 240A.
Mr TOLLNER: There is a review happening at the moment. It would be wrong of me not to express my concern at the actions of the Labor Party. They seem to think by the passing of presumptive legislation, firefighters will automatically be put on workers compensation to cover all the costs of cancer. This is completely misleading information. Presumptive legislation simply changes the onus of proof from the employee to the employer. It does not guarantee a payment or a compensation payout.
I find it abhorrent that the Labor Party would try to politicise this issue on one hand and create an expectation in firefighters that their claims will be automatically improved. It is disgusting behaviour. You ought to sit back and wait for the review to be completed, which we are doing in good faith. We said we have sympathy with firefighters; wait and see what happens.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, your time has expired.
As both Chief Minister and the minister responsible, you can seek a resolution for these four Territory firefighters now. South Australia and Western Australia have passed legislation which looks after their firefighters, joining the Commonwealth and Tasmania.
Your government is failing our frontline workers: teachers, nurses and firefighters. Firefighters have lodged an application for protected action. Will you, in a demonstration of good faith, agree to work with TIO to help these four Territory firefighters suffering from cancer?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, as the shadow minister knows, the Deputy Chief Minister is reviewing, within the purview of his responsibilities as Minister for Business. We are very sympathetic to the issues these four firefighters are dealing with. We are looking at other legislation and Senate reports in Australia and around the world. The review will identify the way we should move forward. I am very happy for you to get some information from the Deputy Chief Minister. However, I ask the Deputy Chief Minister to provide an update on where the review is up to.
Mr TOLLNER: Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Fannie Bay for the question. It is sad, the way Labor wants to play politics with this issue. For 11 years, Labor had the opportunity to do something for firefighters. On coming into government, we immediately started a review of WorkSafe and all of the practices around workers rehabilitation and compensation. The firefighters are part of that review.
As I said in this Chamber some time ago, we have sympathy for the plight of firefighters, but things have to be done across the board, and we are looking at all occupations, not just firefighters. There is a range of questions which was not answered by the previous government and …
Ms FYLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. It was a very direct question. In good faith for these firefighters, will you agree to work with TIO right now to help them, as they are suffering from cancer? Yes or no?
Mr TOLLNER: I do not know whether the member for Nightcliff is deaf, but I have just said we are completely reviewing workers compensation and rehabilitation. TIO is involved in that. They have been consulted. This is not just about firefighters; this is about workers across the board.
Ms FYLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. It is about firefighters who have run out of sick leave.
Madam SPEAKER: That is not a point of order.
Mr TOLLNER: She has cloth ears, Madam Speakers.
Ms Fyles: I have cloth ears, but you need to support them.
Mr TOLLNER: The fact is …
________________________________
Suspension of Member
Member for Nightcliff
Suspension of Member
Member for Nightcliff
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, please pause. Member for Nightcliff, you were on a warning. Please leave the Chamber for one hour, pursuant to Standing Order 240A.
________________________________
Mr TOLLNER: There is a review happening at the moment. It would be wrong of me not to express my concern at the actions of the Labor Party. They seem to think by the passing of presumptive legislation, firefighters will automatically be put on workers compensation to cover all the costs of cancer. This is completely misleading information. Presumptive legislation simply changes the onus of proof from the employee to the employer. It does not guarantee a payment or a compensation payout.
I find it abhorrent that the Labor Party would try to politicise this issue on one hand and create an expectation in firefighters that their claims will be automatically improved. It is disgusting behaviour. You ought to sit back and wait for the review to be completed, which we are doing in good faith. We said we have sympathy with firefighters; wait and see what happens.
Madam SPEAKER: Minister, your time has expired.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016