Page 506 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 14 March 2007
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What is reflected on page 24 of this marvellous business plan under the heading “Recurrent and Capital Budgets”? Page 24 gives us an indication of what will happen. In the 2006-07 budget, capital expenditure is 28 per cent for new equipment, new networks, new buildings and new communications. By 2009-10 it drops to two per cent. It goes from more than a quarter to one-fiftieth of the budget, which will not replace very much, unless the minister sees an enormous expansion in the budget, which will not happen, because, as a result of this government’s ineptitude and financial mismanagement, we know that that is now not possible.
Currently, of the $77 million budget for 2006-07, about $21 million is capital. If we add in a couple of per cent each year and we scale up to 2009-10 we find that the budget will go up to about $80 million, but the capital expenditure will drop to $1.6 million, which is barely enough to cover the vehicle replacement program for the Rural Fire Service. So forget the ambulances, which we know we are short of, forget the SES, and certainly forget the fire brigade because there is not enough money to go around. And that is the problem. An army marches on its stomach. The SES, the Rural Fire Service, the ACT Ambulance Service and the ACT Fire Brigade can respond only in the vehicles that they have, using the equipment that they have.
As every little thing has to be justified and as every little requirement of the volunteers is scrutinised the bean counters will turn off the tap and this business plan will just go out the window like the rest of Mr Corbell’s promises.
I relay back the issue of a volunteer with a cracked helmet. Mr Speaker, you would know that a safety helmet that is cracked has lost its structural integrity. The volunteer was told, “You cannot have a new one because of budget constraints.” She took that helmet back to her crew captain, who put it on the ground, put his foot through it and said, “Take that in and tell them that it is structurally sound.” She got a new helmet. If that is what volunteers have to go through now, the madness of these reforms will put lives at risk, which is something the minister should consider. It is interesting going through this business plan, because on every page one finds errors. Page 3 of the 24-page document in part states:
… the Governments acceptance & support of the majority of the McLeod report recommendations
That did not even last for two years. Page 4 reflects a directive on high from the minister:
The Canberra Community will:
• Listen to warnings and take action to improve resilience to hazards.
Fantastic! There you are, you are all warned and you have to listen, but the warnings have to be given.
On the Four Corners program on Monday night a Canberra resident said, “We can’t fight this; we weren’t warned.” Last week the then head of the fire service, who resigned in disgust, said, “No, we didn’t send a warning.” So how can you expect the
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