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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 7 Hansard (26 June) . . Page.. 2655 ..


MR PRATT

(10.01): Mr Speaker, I rise to express my concern about uncooperative acts carried out by a government minister. I personally witnessed behaviour that was verging on the contemptible during estimates hearings.

I was really disappointed at the actions of Mr Wood during estimates. I personally witnessed what took place that afternoon when I was seeking to question him on his portfolios. Mr Wood, in fact, spent the entire afternoon stonewalling on the sorts of issues that the committee was quite entitled to scrutinise.

Mr Speaker, on behalf of the people of the ACT who might wish to know whether their territory's budget has been properly prepared and is likely to be judiciously spent, I sought to ask the minister about the territory's emergency bushfire fighting and emergency management capabilities. After all, Mr Speaker, some $160 million of the territory's money has been allocated in 2003-2004 and in the three out years to the territory's emergency management. That money must be spent wisely.

The Legislative Assembly is duty bound to scrutinise the territory's emergency management capability and the emergency services designed to implement the emergency management plan. Is the plan adequate? Do we need to spend additional funding in risk analysis and/or revamping the plan? Do we need to spend further funds on the service? Are we spending that money efficiently? Importantly, are there weaknesses in the emergency management system that need further funding now? Which weaknesses can we decide to take action on now without needing to wait until after the McLeod inquiry?

Mr Wood

: Why didn't you ask those questions?

MR PRATT

: Because you stonewalled me. I didn't get a damn chance to. Mr Speaker, we know that there are immediate steps that can be taken to rectify fundamental capabilities in our emergency services. Now is the time-

Mr Wood

: Yes, we spoke about the fire trucks, remember? Remember that?

MR PRATT

: Yes, I do and I appreciated that, Mr Wood.

Mr Wood

: And what about the communication system? We spoke about that.

MR PRATT

: I certainly appreciated that. Mr Speaker, we know that there are immediate steps that can be taken to rectify fundamental capabilities in our emergency services, and those steps can be taken now. We need to scrutinise these issues now because time will be needed to learn the lessons and improve the territory's emergency management position in time for the next fire season. Was it not important and was it not the minister's duty to reassure the committee, and through it the people, in regard to the very obvious questions relating to emergency service capability and the relevant budget issues? This is resource management.

Mr Speaker, emergency services is not just an ordinary run-of-the-mill government department. It is an emergency response agency.


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