❓ Question regarding legislation providing compensation to volunteer firefighters and Department of Parks and Wildlife personnel who contract prescribed cancers. The Minister outlines progress in drafting the bill to provide presumptive cancer coverage, similar to career firefighters.
AnsweredQoN 784Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS AND DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND
WILDLIFE PERSONNEL — HEALTH LEGISLATION
784. MR N.W. MORTON to the
Minister for Emergency Services:
I note the minister's recent announcement that
cabinet has approved legislation to provide compensation to volunteer and
Department of Parks and Wildlife firefighters who —
Ms M.M. Quirk interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Excuse me. Member for Girrawheen, you are now on 3.5 calls. You are lucky that
I am in a good mood today.
Mr N.W. MORTON :
There are so many comments I could make, Mr Speaker. I will start that question
again since I was rudely interrupted.
I note the minister's recent announcement that
cabinet has approved legislation to provide compensation to volunteer and
Department of Parks and Wildlife firefighters who contract a prescribed cancer.
Can the minister please provide the house with further information on this
initiative?
WILDLIFE PERSONNEL — HEALTH LEGISLATION
784. MR N.W. MORTON to the
Minister for Emergency Services:
I note the minister's recent announcement that
cabinet has approved legislation to provide compensation to volunteer and
Department of Parks and Wildlife firefighters who —
Ms M.M. Quirk interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Excuse me. Member for Girrawheen, you are now on 3.5 calls. You are lucky that
I am in a good mood today.
Mr N.W. MORTON :
There are so many comments I could make, Mr Speaker. I will start that question
again since I was rudely interrupted.
I note the minister's recent announcement that
cabinet has approved legislation to provide compensation to volunteer and
Department of Parks and Wildlife firefighters who contract a prescribed cancer.
Can the minister please provide the house with further information on this
initiative?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Forrestfield. Three point five—it
is tempting, but I will behave!
I thank the member for Forrestfield very much for his
question. A week and a half ago—the weekend before last—the
Department of Fire and Emergency Services hosted the fourth annual Western
Australian Fire and Emergency Services Conference in Perth. Volunteer fire and
rescue firefighters, bush fire brigade firefighters and State Emergency Service
and volunteer marine rescue service personnel from all over the state came here
for a wonderful weekend to see firsthand what each other is doing and to learn
from each other and share the positive experiences of being a volunteer
emergency services worker. During that weekend we announced that cabinet has
approved moving forward and drafting the bill that will provide the same
presumptive cancer coverage for volunteer firefighters as it does for career
firefighters. I have mentioned this before; we have had to go through two
processes to cover everyone. The first one was to cover the career fire and
rescue firefighters. That was achieved through a simple amendment to the
Workers' Compensation and Injury Management Act. However, for retired
career firefighters and volunteer firefighters, it has been somewhat more
difficult to reach the point at which we can be fair and honest and not be
disingenuous, as are some other states—for example, Tasmania—that
have set standards that no emergency services personnel will ever reach.
The government recognises that if volunteer firefighters and
personnel from the Department of Parks and Wildlife and the Forest Products
Commission—no matter which branch they come from—are exposed to
certain carcinogens through fighting hazardous fires, such as building,
rubbish, tip or car fires, they should be given the same principle of coverage
and benefit of the doubt that we give career firefighters.
Going into the fire season, we acknowledge the work that all
firefighters do across the state of Western Australia. We wish them all the
best and I hope they all stay safe while doing a very, very challenging task.
Th ere are some 30 000 emergency
services volunteers across Western Australia. Looking at the weather today, we
can see that the seasons change very, very quickly. We are getting on with the job. We have made some significant progress now in coming to a sweet
spot about which everyone will agree. Hopefully, everyone will agree on not
only the standards of length of service when we announce them, but also the qualifying exposure. We think
we have come to a fair place that will cover everyone equally without being
disingenuous.
is tempting, but I will behave!
I thank the member for Forrestfield very much for his
question. A week and a half ago—the weekend before last—the
Department of Fire and Emergency Services hosted the fourth annual Western
Australian Fire and Emergency Services Conference in Perth. Volunteer fire and
rescue firefighters, bush fire brigade firefighters and State Emergency Service
and volunteer marine rescue service personnel from all over the state came here
for a wonderful weekend to see firsthand what each other is doing and to learn
from each other and share the positive experiences of being a volunteer
emergency services worker. During that weekend we announced that cabinet has
approved moving forward and drafting the bill that will provide the same
presumptive cancer coverage for volunteer firefighters as it does for career
firefighters. I have mentioned this before; we have had to go through two
processes to cover everyone. The first one was to cover the career fire and
rescue firefighters. That was achieved through a simple amendment to the
Workers' Compensation and Injury Management Act. However, for retired
career firefighters and volunteer firefighters, it has been somewhat more
difficult to reach the point at which we can be fair and honest and not be
disingenuous, as are some other states—for example, Tasmania—that
have set standards that no emergency services personnel will ever reach.
The government recognises that if volunteer firefighters and
personnel from the Department of Parks and Wildlife and the Forest Products
Commission—no matter which branch they come from—are exposed to
certain carcinogens through fighting hazardous fires, such as building,
rubbish, tip or car fires, they should be given the same principle of coverage
and benefit of the doubt that we give career firefighters.
Going into the fire season, we acknowledge the work that all
firefighters do across the state of Western Australia. We wish them all the
best and I hope they all stay safe while doing a very, very challenging task.
Th ere are some 30 000 emergency
services volunteers across Western Australia. Looking at the weather today, we
can see that the seasons change very, very quickly. We are getting on with the job. We have made some significant progress now in coming to a sweet
spot about which everyone will agree. Hopefully, everyone will agree on not
only the standards of length of service when we announce them, but also the qualifying exposure. We think
we have come to a fair place that will cover everyone equally without being
disingenuous.
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