Emergency Services

The Hon. G.A. KANDELAARS (15:00): My question is to the Minister for Emergency Services. Can the minister inform the house of the incredible work of emergency services volunteers following the extreme weather event of last week?

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS (Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety) (15:00): I thank the Hon. Mr Kandelaars for his important question because last week in South Australia we saw a very unique weather event: a storm event that we haven't seen the likes of in South Australia for some time. Indeed, there were elements of what occurred early last week that are unprecedented.

As many members are undoubtedly aware, last week was also National Volunteer Week, which is an annual celebration to raise the profile of volunteering in our country and to reflect upon the important and invaluable contribution volunteers make within our communities each and every day. As Minister for Emergency Services, I am privileged to work in a portfolio with some of the country's hardest working and selfless volunteers in our CFS, SES, and Volunteer Marine Rescue.

The event last week—the very substantial weather event last week—called into action an extraordinary response. Over 300 SES volunteers came into action; they were aptly supported by CFS, MFS and SAPOL contributors, and local council staff also helped in that response. Over 1,100 calls were responded to early last week—over 1,100 calls. It was an extraordinary effort, a very substantial challenge, and one that was well met.

It just so happens that we had this event on Monday evening/Tuesday morning, and then on Wednesday, by pure coincidence, it was Wear Orange Wednesday—a national day. It's a day that's in place to acknowledge the contribution of SES volunteers throughout the country. Members may be aware that on Wednesday we had a bit of a media event to draw the public's attention to what Wear Orange Wednesday is all about and to try to pass on the community's thanks and recognition for the extraordinary contribution these SES volunteers are making. I was a little bit disappointed that on Wednesday the events of earlier in the week coincided with Wear Orange Wednesday not in a positive way but, rather, there was a bit of negative media attention around what had occurred.

We have over 1,700 SES volunteers in the state; we have over 14,000 CFS volunteers in the state. One would reasonably expect—whenever you have 15,000 people who are equally passionate and committed to serving their community—there might be different views amongst 15,000 people and how best to deliver that service. That's expected; it's welcomed. It's understandable that if you have 15,000 people passionate about something, some people amongst those 15,000 will have different views from others, and that is to be welcomed. People being able to express different views is to be encouraged and something I take rather seriously.

Our job as a government, of course, is to try and take that information and ensure that we consider it and have an evidence-based response, a response that is about making sure that we are, indeed, delivering the best possible service we can to our state. But I was a little surprised, I have to say, that the shadow minister for emergency services, the member for Morphett, seemed to get a little bit excited about this. It wasn't a measured response. It seemed to be a response that was almost salivating at the fact that there were differences of opinion within the SES.

I didn't draw attention to it at the time. I would rather just focus on what Wear Orange Wednesday was about and the extraordinary contribution that was being made. But new information has come to my attention that I think is worth this chamber being made aware of, because the reality is that all of us, as political leaders—me, first and foremost, as the Minister for Emergency Services and, indeed, my shadow in this role—have an obligation not just to make an evidence-based well thought through response to any information that comes to hand, but also to be conscious of the impact it has on the morale of our volunteers.

The morale of volunteers is A1 critical for them to have the motivation to get out of bed in the middle of the night in unprecedented gale-force winds and incredible pouring rain and to motivate themselves, knowing that they have the community's support right behind them. Clearly some of those volunteers are a little bit disconcerted about the response of the shadow minister. They have made mention of this in public forums that I think it is worth drawing attention to. Only on the weekend, the Sturt State Emergency Service volunteers put this post up on Facebook:

The SA State Emergency Service has received some very negative press this week, directed from Shadow Emergency Services Minister Duncan McFetridge.

Sturt SES volunteers can no longer sit back without voicing their opinions.

Fair enough.

Sturt SES volunteers passionately work side by side with the [MFS] and volunteers of the [CFS] on a daily basis to assist the community during times of emergency. Our frustration and disappointment stems solely from Duncan McFetridge's actions.

Sturt SES volunteers are extremely disappointed that on Wear Orange Wednesday, a day of national recognition for SES volunteers, McFetridge chose to attack those same volunteers, only 2 days after the state was lashed by a storm that resulted in SES volunteers responding to over 1000 calls from help within the community…SES volunteers worked tirelessly through the day and night only to receive criticism from the same person that should be highlighting their amazing efforts.

They go on:

McFetridge's use of social media should be questioned; in his direct attacks at Sturt SES responses he has displayed caller details and personal information of victims of an emergency. This is highly inappropriate and unprofessional. McFetridge's uneducated and bias comments in the media and through his small group of social media followers aimed at the State Emergency Service have seen many volunteers—

and this is the important part—

question their worth in light of his criticisms. SES volunteers give up their time from work, family, and friends 24 hours a day seven days a week to ensure the safety of the community, and comments such as [Mr] McFetridge's have only proven his unsuitability to represent them.

This isn't from a politician; this isn't from a bureaucrat. This is from volunteers whom Mr McFetridge would seek to represent, should he be in government. Let's go on further. Today, again, we have had a statement from Campbelltown, Edinburgh, Enfield, Mount Barker, Sturt and Tea Tree Gully SES units, and the leaders of those units say:

Many of our members have been in the service for a long period of time and are distressed by some of the attention that the SA SES has received over the past few weeks, with some harsh criticism in the media, which has received further public input from the shadow [spokesperson] for Emergency Services, the Hon. Duncan McFetridge.

Here's the thing—

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS: Point of order!

The PRESIDENT: Point of order.

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS: The minister has been on his feet for over eight minutes—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS: No—the point of order is that this is question time—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS: —and the Leader of the Government assured me we would have concise answers to questions. This has been an eight-minute answer to a Dorothy Dixer.

The PRESIDENT: The honourable minister, get to the nub of your answer.

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS: I personally and this government have all the time in the world for our volunteers. We are not going to be a government that seeks to diminish or undermine the extraordinary contribution of our volunteers. We welcome the fact that there are different views amongst the 15,000 volunteers within our state but what we will not tolerate—

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS: Point of order, Mr President. I know the minister hasn't been here very long but he does have the opportunity to move a substantive motion on what is an attack on another member of parliament, and I seek for you to bring him to order, sir.

The PRESIDENT: I understand, the Hon. Mr Dawkins, that you might not be happy with the minister's answer but that is the way he is answering the question. Minister.

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS: Mr President, the principal point—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS: —that we want to get across is that we are—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS: —incredibly grateful as a government for all the hard work that our volunteers put in, particularly those SES volunteers. We want to make sure that this state government's gratitude is passed on to them. It was disappointing that they did not get the recognition and the attention that they should have had on Wear Orange Wednesday. It is regrettable that there are so many volunteers who are disappointed with the opposition spokesperson for emergency services contribution to the debate, and we call on all people who are in political leadership to show our thanks and make sure that next time Wear Orange Wednesday comes around that we don't seek political opportunism to make a point but rather thank our volunteers for all the hard work that they do.

The Hon. K.L. VINCENT: I was just going to make what I hope would be considered a valid point of order, which is that by my count on at least three occasions the minister referred to the member in the other place by his first name, and he should know that that is not parliamentary.

The PRESIDENT: Take note, the honourable minister.

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS: Mr President, of course I am aware of protocol and I am very keen to abide by it at all times. The only occasion on which I did that was when I was directly quoting from the words of volunteers.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS: I was directly quoting from the words of volunteers.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Ms Franks has the floor.