COMMUNITY SAFETY DIRECTORATE

Dr McFETRIDGE (Morphett) (15:37): My question is to the Minister for Emergency Services. Why did the minister not consult with the CFS Volunteers Association or the SES Volunteers Association before announcing the establishment of the Community Safety Directorate as required by the volunteer charter, which the minister signed? The SACFS volunteer charter and the SES volunteer charter both state, and I quote:

...the Government...(SAFECOM), the CFS and the SES will commit to:

consulting with [SES] Volunteers and the Country Fire Service Volunteers Association and the SES Volunteers Association...about all matters that might reasonably be expected to affect them...

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE (Wright—Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety, Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (15:38): The establishment of the Community Safety Directorate is a great opportunity that we have to take the coordination and collaboration and policy development—

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: —from our police, the Department for Correctional Services, Metropolitan Fire Service, the other volunteer emergency services (the CFS, the SES) right through to recovery and also, interestingly, under my portfolio area, multicultural affairs to a new level. What we have done is establish a directorate headed up by former assistant commissioner Tony Harrison, who brings an enormous amount of knowledge, expertise, energy and enthusiasm to this role, and we are spending the next couple of months consulting with and developing—

Dr McFetridge interjecting:

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: Not at all. It is a very small directorate. We have seconded people from each of the operational agencies. This is not about taking over any of the operational independence of any of our emergency services or our police. This is about strategic policy development—and they will be involved.