❓ Mr. Redman questions the Minister for Emergency Services about a potential 'gag order' in the funding agreement with the Association of Volunteer Bushfire Brigades. The Minister denies any such condition and accuses Mr. Redman of being misled.
AnsweredQoN 755Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
DEPARTMENT OF FIRE AND
EMERGENCY SERVICES — VOLUNTEERS — CODE OF CONDUCT
755. Mr
D.T. REDMAN to the Minister for Emergency Services:
I refer to the funding agreement
between the Department of Fire and Emergency Services and the Association of
Volunteer Bushfire Brigades of Western Australia, which was renewed on 1 July
this year, subject to a new requirement that the association establish a DFES-endorsed
code of conduct. Will DFES endorse a code of conduct if it does not include a gag
order that prevents volunteers from speaking to politicians and the media about
bullying, safety or funding concerns?
EMERGENCY SERVICES — VOLUNTEERS — CODE OF CONDUCT
755. Mr
D.T. REDMAN to the Minister for Emergency Services:
I refer to the funding agreement
between the Department of Fire and Emergency Services and the Association of
Volunteer Bushfire Brigades of Western Australia, which was renewed on 1 July
this year, subject to a new requirement that the association establish a DFES-endorsed
code of conduct. Will DFES endorse a code of conduct if it does not include a gag
order that prevents volunteers from speaking to politicians and the media about
bullying, safety or funding concerns?
AnswerView source ↗
Thanks for that question. The
information that the member has been getting has either been misconstrued from
what he heard, or he is misleading Parliament. There was no tying of any
requirement to do anything via the funding of those associations related to the
code of conduct. As the member would well know, because I have told him
numerous times in this house, that code of conduct applies to only those
organisations that are directly under the control of the Commissioner for Fire
and Emergency Services. The member has just quoted the Association of Volunteer
Bushfire Brigades of Western Australia. It is not covered by that code of
conduct. It is covered by codes of conduct that are separately held by each
local government in Western Australia, including the member's own in
Denmark. It has to comply with those codes of conduct.
Provisions in local government codes
of conduct are similar to those in the state government code of conduct. The
member has put a proposition to the house that has misled the house—that
is, that the money to the Association of Volunteer Bushfire Brigades of Western
Australia is directly related to the code of conduct, but the code of conduct
does not apply to it. The member has got it wrong because he is listening too
much to Darren Brown, friend of the Liberal Party.
Mr D.T. Redman interjected.
Mr F.M. LOGAN : The member can
laugh, but that is who he is listening to. He is listening to Darren Brown.
Several members interjected.
The ACTING SPEAKER : Members!
Mr F.M. LOGAN : I would speak
to Legislative Council member Hon Peter Collier about Darren Brown to hear what
he thinks about Darren Brown and what he would believe from him. It seems to me
that the member for Warren–Blackwood believes whatever he is told by Mr
Brown. If what he has been told relates to what he has just told Parliament, it
is not only wrong, but also misleading.
information that the member has been getting has either been misconstrued from
what he heard, or he is misleading Parliament. There was no tying of any
requirement to do anything via the funding of those associations related to the
code of conduct. As the member would well know, because I have told him
numerous times in this house, that code of conduct applies to only those
organisations that are directly under the control of the Commissioner for Fire
and Emergency Services. The member has just quoted the Association of Volunteer
Bushfire Brigades of Western Australia. It is not covered by that code of
conduct. It is covered by codes of conduct that are separately held by each
local government in Western Australia, including the member's own in
Denmark. It has to comply with those codes of conduct.
Provisions in local government codes
of conduct are similar to those in the state government code of conduct. The
member has put a proposition to the house that has misled the house—that
is, that the money to the Association of Volunteer Bushfire Brigades of Western
Australia is directly related to the code of conduct, but the code of conduct
does not apply to it. The member has got it wrong because he is listening too
much to Darren Brown, friend of the Liberal Party.
Mr D.T. Redman interjected.
Mr F.M. LOGAN : The member can
laugh, but that is who he is listening to. He is listening to Darren Brown.
Several members interjected.
The ACTING SPEAKER : Members!
Mr F.M. LOGAN : I would speak
to Legislative Council member Hon Peter Collier about Darren Brown to hear what
he thinks about Darren Brown and what he would believe from him. It seems to me
that the member for Warren–Blackwood believes whatever he is told by Mr
Brown. If what he has been told relates to what he has just told Parliament, it
is not only wrong, but also misleading.
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