Page 6115 - Week 14 - Thursday, 9 December 2010
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I am advised that at this point in time the flood waters have peaked in Queanbeyan—the Queanbeyan River, at 8.4 metres—and are now slowly falling. We are seeing those flood waters now proceed downstream. We will keep the situation under review as they enter the ACT and Lake Burley Griffin in particular. But at this point of time no further action is deemed to be required, and I refer members to my previous response in relation to the issues in the ACT.
MS PORTER: Mr Speaker, a supplementary?
MR SPEAKER: Yes, Ms Porter.
MS PORTER: Minister, how well equipped is the SES to deal with storm events like this, given that predictions are for similar weather events over the coming summer months?
MR CORBELL: I thank Ms Porter for the question. The SES is a very professional volunteer emergency service. ACT SES volunteers are provided with nationally recognised training from the current version 7 of the public sector training package. All training reflects nationally developed and agreed units of competence and includes induction, occupational health and safety, general rescue, storm and water damage and maintaining team safety modules. In addition to this, of course, we have the support from other volunteer services and indeed from our paid services, the RFS, the Fire Brigade and other services. They also are well trained in all aspects of dealing with emergencies, and we have seen their professionalism put to the test and demonstrated during the recent flooding events.
Mr Stanhope: I ask that further questions be placed on the notice paper.
Unparliamentary language
MR HANSON (Molonglo): Mr Speaker, under standing order 73 I seek your guidance and your ruling on events that led up to my being suspended from the service of the Assembly yesterday. The two issues that I would like you to rule on if you could are, firstly, the use of the words “true”, “truthful” and “untruthful”, particularly when they are made about reflections on statements or events that are made outside the Assembly and, secondly, both the correctness and the consistency of Ms Le Couteur’s ruling, particularly in comparison with previous rulings that have been made in this place.
On the first point, I am very concerned that—
THE SPEAKER: Mr Hanson, it is not an offer to make a speech. I am happy to just give you some guidance on the—
MR HANSON: You are happy to give me some guidance? Am I not able to make a point about why?
THE SPEAKER: It is not an invitation for a speech. I am happy to answer the question, though. On the specific question, I have actually gone back and reviewed the Hansard yesterday, as you might imagine, after the first naming in this Assembly.
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