Country Fire Service

Dr McFETRIDGE (Morphett) (15:05): My question is again to the Minister for Emergency Services. Did the ministerial request to the SAFECOM board (or was it a direction or an instruction) give the CFS and MFS chiefs six weeks to deliver the two extra pumpers, extra PPE and extra training?

The Hon. T.R. Kenyon interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Newland is warned. He's been doing it all day.

The Hon. A. PICCOLO (Light—Minister for Disabilities, Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety) (15:05): I thank the honourable member for his question. Mr Speaker, to my disappointment, when I became minister—

Ms Redmond: To our disappointment, too, Tony.

The Hon. A. PICCOLO: Yes, I'm sure it's your disappointment, but you're still there. I may be a junior assistant minister, but I'm not a shadow for 16 years either. The issue of Mount Barker was obviously one of the briefing notes I received when I became minister in March/April last year. As I said, I had direct discussions with them about Mount Barker late last year when I met them in Hahndorf. They have also written to me subsequently that we should have a very hardworking CFS volunteer brigade working in the areas of structural fires and in the area of bushfires and rescue work, which they do quite well, and to point out that they were very unhappy with their state of affairs. The fact that I responded to that request from them and that I should be criticised by the Liberal Party opposite for doing so indicates what little support the CFS have from the member for Morphett. The reality—

The SPEAKER: The minister will cease debating the question.

The Hon. A. PICCOLO: I raised the matter at a SAFECOM board meeting, and I indicated to them—if they had taken it that way—that I would be meeting with the Mount Barker brigade within six weeks and it would be good to provide a progress report. I think that is quite reasonable to provide somebody with a progress report.

The SPEAKER: The minister has answered the question. The member for Colton.