Ms LAWRIE - 2013-08-29
This week we have seen firefighters turning their back on the CLP government in the parliament, police saying you have breached their trust on resources, teachers protesting this afternoon at the death of education under the CLP, and yesterday you laughed at 73 nurses from Royal Darwin Hospital Emergency Department when they complained about the crisis your government is causing there. Why are our frontline workers so upset with you?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the Leader of the Opposition for her question. I do not believe people are upset with us. They are upset about the way you are stirring people up with a range of different issues.
It is important to reflect on the point that nobody was laughing at nurses yesterday. We recognise the issue around double bunking at the hospital, the demand pressures on Royal Darwin Hospital and the circumstances behind them, our reaction to some of those growth pressures, and the reason we intend to build Palmerston hospital in the rural area.
We have identified a site which will occupy 45 ha of land as opposed to the 3 ha of land …
Ms FYLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. It was a direct question: why are frontline workers so upset with you?
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, you have the call.
Mr GILES: I was getting to the point that frontline workers are not upset. In regard to firefighters, it is an issue we have been working on since I have been Chief Minister.
On 18 July 2013, I wrote to Station Officer Tom Lawler in response to his claims of personal hardship as a result of suffering from chronic lymphatic leukaemia. In that correspondence he stated his belief this cancer had been caused by his occupation and duties carried out as a firefighter. Unfortunately, Tom’s claim for compensation has been disputed, so he requested consideration be granted for unlimited sick leave, which is not in my power, or that I consider the adoption of presumptive legislation for employees of NTFRS, as has occurred in other jurisdictions.
Preliminary research undertaken reflects the Northern Territory is, or will be, one of the last jurisdictions to address the matter of presumptive legislation as it applies to firefighters diagnosed with cancer.
I properly directed the issue to the Minister for Business to progress as a priority, in consultation with the Workers Rehabilitation and Compensation Advisory Council. NT WorkSafe will shortly be preparing a brief for the Minister for Business on the feasibility of adopting presumptive legislation into the Workers Rehabilitation and Compensation Act. Variances exist across different jurisdictions …
Members interjecting.
Mr GILES: Madam Speaker, as part of this issue, the previous Labor government had eleven-and-a-half years to consider this. In September 2011, the Senate Standing Committee on Education, Employment and Workplace Relations Legislation Committee reported on the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Amendment (Fair Protection for Firefighters) Bill 2011. This could have been addressed by the previous government.
Upon being advised of the issue, we have committed to doing a full review and looking at changes to the Workers Rehabilitation and Compensation Act. Once that review is completed and changes identified to meet the needs, we will make those announcements.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the Leader of the Opposition for her question. I do not believe people are upset with us. They are upset about the way you are stirring people up with a range of different issues.
It is important to reflect on the point that nobody was laughing at nurses yesterday. We recognise the issue around double bunking at the hospital, the demand pressures on Royal Darwin Hospital and the circumstances behind them, our reaction to some of those growth pressures, and the reason we intend to build Palmerston hospital in the rural area.
We have identified a site which will occupy 45 ha of land as opposed to the 3 ha of land …
Ms FYLES: A point of order, Madam Speaker! Standing Order 113: relevance. It was a direct question: why are frontline workers so upset with you?
Madam SPEAKER: Chief Minister, you have the call.
Mr GILES: I was getting to the point that frontline workers are not upset. In regard to firefighters, it is an issue we have been working on since I have been Chief Minister.
On 18 July 2013, I wrote to Station Officer Tom Lawler in response to his claims of personal hardship as a result of suffering from chronic lymphatic leukaemia. In that correspondence he stated his belief this cancer had been caused by his occupation and duties carried out as a firefighter. Unfortunately, Tom’s claim for compensation has been disputed, so he requested consideration be granted for unlimited sick leave, which is not in my power, or that I consider the adoption of presumptive legislation for employees of NTFRS, as has occurred in other jurisdictions.
Preliminary research undertaken reflects the Northern Territory is, or will be, one of the last jurisdictions to address the matter of presumptive legislation as it applies to firefighters diagnosed with cancer.
I properly directed the issue to the Minister for Business to progress as a priority, in consultation with the Workers Rehabilitation and Compensation Advisory Council. NT WorkSafe will shortly be preparing a brief for the Minister for Business on the feasibility of adopting presumptive legislation into the Workers Rehabilitation and Compensation Act. Variances exist across different jurisdictions …
Members interjecting.
Mr GILES: Madam Speaker, as part of this issue, the previous Labor government had eleven-and-a-half years to consider this. In September 2011, the Senate Standing Committee on Education, Employment and Workplace Relations Legislation Committee reported on the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Amendment (Fair Protection for Firefighters) Bill 2011. This could have been addressed by the previous government.
Upon being advised of the issue, we have committed to doing a full review and looking at changes to the Workers Rehabilitation and Compensation Act. Once that review is completed and changes identified to meet the needs, we will make those announcements.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016