Sampson Flat Bushfire

Dr McFETRIDGE (Morphett) (15:05): My question is again to the Minister for Emergency Services. How much is the investigation by Kingswood Investigations into the minister's visit to Sampson Flat costing, and is this money coming out of the CFS budget via the ESL?

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): The actual cost I don't know. It wasn't commissioned by my office: that inquiry was commissioned by the chief of the CFS.

Mr Marshall: But it's coming out of your budget.

The Hon. A. PICCOLO: Let me finish the question for once. At the outset, the request for the investigation was a demand made by the CFS Volunteers Association, so if the member for Morphett is saying that the investigation shouldn't take place he should say so because the investigation is at the request of the volunteers.

In response to that, the letter went to the CFS chief officer to undertake an inquiry. Because the CFSVA then subsequently were not happy for him to do that, when the CFS chief officer contradicted public remarks made at the time about an incident, he then asked a colleague in the sector to undertake the inquiry. That person, who is the chief officer of the SES, went to crown law for advice, and crown law advice has directed the chief officer to undertake the Kingswood investigation. That investigation is being done at the direction of volunteers in the sector and ultimately the cost will be picked up by the sector.