❓ Question regarding bushfire recovery assistance and visa issues for BlazeAid volunteers in Katanning. Minister deflects responsibility to the federal government, leading to heated exchanges.
AnsweredQoN 147Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
BUSHFIRES —
KATANNING AND SOUTH WEST
147. Mr P.J. RUNDLE to the Minister for Emergency Services:
I refer to the recent bushfires in
WA that have burnt through approximately 1.5 million hectares of land and
affected many communities.
(1) Has the
minister had a conversation with Emergency Management Australia about
exemptions to disaster recovery arrangements so our communities can access
Australian Taxation Office relief and other forms of assistance?
(2) Is the
minister aware that 417 visa holders, volunteering in Katanning and regional WA
with BlazeAid's relief and fencing
efforts, are being forced back to the eastern states where exemptions have been
negotiated by state ministers?
Mr D.T. Redman interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Let us hear the answer, member for Warren–Blackwood.
KATANNING AND SOUTH WEST
147. Mr P.J. RUNDLE to the Minister for Emergency Services:
I refer to the recent bushfires in
WA that have burnt through approximately 1.5 million hectares of land and
affected many communities.
(1) Has the
minister had a conversation with Emergency Management Australia about
exemptions to disaster recovery arrangements so our communities can access
Australian Taxation Office relief and other forms of assistance?
(2) Is the
minister aware that 417 visa holders, volunteering in Katanning and regional WA
with BlazeAid's relief and fencing
efforts, are being forced back to the eastern states where exemptions have been
negotiated by state ministers?
Mr D.T. Redman interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Let us hear the answer, member for Warren–Blackwood.
AnswerView source ↗
Despite the fact that I have
written to the member for Roe on this very matter, because he has asked me
about it, I am not 100 per cent sure, from that question, whether he actually
read the response that I gave him.
Mr P.J. Rundle : I read it.
Mr F.M. LOGAN : I then
question why the member has raised this question in the house. The reason I say
that, member, is because it was all laid —
Mr R.H. Cook : Did you have
pictures?
Mr F.M. LOGAN : I did not put
cartoons in, maybe I should have done.
It was all laid out there and I really
cannot understand why the member and his federal colleagues in his area cannot
get it through their heads that the disaster recovery funding arrangements have
been put in place by the federal government.
Mr P.J. Rundle interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Roe,
you have a chance for a supplementary.
Mr F.M. LOGAN : It seems to
go right the way through those members' heads, from here to here and
out the other side.
The SPEAKER : Member, just
answer the question, please.
Mr F.M. LOGAN : The disaster
recovery funding arrangements follow the same conditions that are in place for
the normal disaster recovery arrangements in this state when there is a flood
or a bushfire or whatever.
Mr D.T. Redman : These were
arrangements from BlazeAid. Pick up the phone!
Mr F.M. LOGAN : I will get to
BlazeAid in a second. He asked the government a two-part question.
The first part is about the recovery arrangements and
whatever relief that comes, whether it is a loan, subsidies on interest or any
other form of support, as a result of those bushfires. All those conditions
were laid down by the federal government. If the member has a problem with
them, go and raise it with my federal counterpart.
Mr P.J. Rundle : You're
the minister.
Mr F.M. LOGAN : That member is
an MP. Raise it with the —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr F.M. LOGAN : —
Nationals member, who happens to be the federal minister for emergency services
who wrote out those conditions.
Several members interjected.
Mr F.M. LOGAN : You are an MP —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members, do you
want to hear the answer or not?
Mr F.M. LOGAN : You represent
those people in that area; get off your butt and write to those people, write
to our counterparts —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Minister, speak
through the Chair, please.
Mr F.M. LOGAN : Write to your
counterpart —
The SPEAKER : Through the Chair,
minister.
Mr F.M. LOGAN : — who
is —
Ms M.J. Davies interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
National Party, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr F.M. LOGAN : — the
federal emergency services minister who set those conditions out if you have a problem
with them.
Ms M.J. Davies : Why does
every other minister manage to have the conversation?
Mr F.M. LOGAN : No. I have
written that to you.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
National Party, I call you to order for the second time.
Mr F.M. LOGAN : I have written
that to you. I have also raised the very issues that you have raised with that
federal minister, and they are being raised again today by the Premier in the
Council of Australian Governments meeting. What are you doing? What are those
members doing? That is what I have been doing. The member for Roe is the local
member; what has he been doing? He has been doing nothing. With respect to —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Ms M.J. Davies interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
National Party, I call you to order for the third time.
Mr F.M. LOGAN : With respect
to Liz Guidera, who is the president of Katanning shire, and who spoke to my
office, I texted back and forth with her yesterday about BlazeAid. I made it
very clear to her that the 457 visa issue is a federal issue. It is
immigration, so take that up with the local federal member.
Mr D.T. Redman interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Warren–Blackwood!
Mr D.T. Redman : Start doing
your job!
Mr F.M. LOGAN : Why do you not
do something, member for Warren–Blackwood?
The SPEAKER : Member for
Warren–Blackwood, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr D.T. Redman interjected.
Mr F.M. LOGAN : Like the guy
behind you —
The SPEAKER : Order, minister!
Member for Warren–Blackwood, I call you to order for the first and the
second time, because you are too busy talking to hear me say it the first time.
Minister, speak through the Chair, please.
Mr F.M. LOGAN : Thank you, Mr
Speaker.
The Nationals WA members seem to be long on talk and short on
action—as normal. They talk a lot in here. Try to get them to represent
their members —
The SPEAKER : Members of the
National Party, I do not want to have to throw you all out, but with the way
you are going, the only one who has any class today is your deputy leader!
Mr F.M. LOGAN : Thank you, Mr
Speaker.
As I have said —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr F.M. LOGAN : As I have
said, members of the National Party are long on talk and short on action. They
can represent their constituents by taking these issues up with their own
political colleagues in Canberra, and they fail to do so. I have done it, and,
with respect to the Katanning issue, it is still ongoing and still being
raised. Basically, I am doing the work for the member for Roe, down there, in his
own constituency. I would like him to now get up and say thanks.
written to the member for Roe on this very matter, because he has asked me
about it, I am not 100 per cent sure, from that question, whether he actually
read the response that I gave him.
Mr P.J. Rundle : I read it.
Mr F.M. LOGAN : I then
question why the member has raised this question in the house. The reason I say
that, member, is because it was all laid —
Mr R.H. Cook : Did you have
pictures?
Mr F.M. LOGAN : I did not put
cartoons in, maybe I should have done.
It was all laid out there and I really
cannot understand why the member and his federal colleagues in his area cannot
get it through their heads that the disaster recovery funding arrangements have
been put in place by the federal government.
Mr P.J. Rundle interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Roe,
you have a chance for a supplementary.
Mr F.M. LOGAN : It seems to
go right the way through those members' heads, from here to here and
out the other side.
The SPEAKER : Member, just
answer the question, please.
Mr F.M. LOGAN : The disaster
recovery funding arrangements follow the same conditions that are in place for
the normal disaster recovery arrangements in this state when there is a flood
or a bushfire or whatever.
Mr D.T. Redman : These were
arrangements from BlazeAid. Pick up the phone!
Mr F.M. LOGAN : I will get to
BlazeAid in a second. He asked the government a two-part question.
The first part is about the recovery arrangements and
whatever relief that comes, whether it is a loan, subsidies on interest or any
other form of support, as a result of those bushfires. All those conditions
were laid down by the federal government. If the member has a problem with
them, go and raise it with my federal counterpart.
Mr P.J. Rundle : You're
the minister.
Mr F.M. LOGAN : That member is
an MP. Raise it with the —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr F.M. LOGAN : —
Nationals member, who happens to be the federal minister for emergency services
who wrote out those conditions.
Several members interjected.
Mr F.M. LOGAN : You are an MP —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members, do you
want to hear the answer or not?
Mr F.M. LOGAN : You represent
those people in that area; get off your butt and write to those people, write
to our counterparts —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Minister, speak
through the Chair, please.
Mr F.M. LOGAN : Write to your
counterpart —
The SPEAKER : Through the Chair,
minister.
Mr F.M. LOGAN : — who
is —
Ms M.J. Davies interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
National Party, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr F.M. LOGAN : — the
federal emergency services minister who set those conditions out if you have a problem
with them.
Ms M.J. Davies : Why does
every other minister manage to have the conversation?
Mr F.M. LOGAN : No. I have
written that to you.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
National Party, I call you to order for the second time.
Mr F.M. LOGAN : I have written
that to you. I have also raised the very issues that you have raised with that
federal minister, and they are being raised again today by the Premier in the
Council of Australian Governments meeting. What are you doing? What are those
members doing? That is what I have been doing. The member for Roe is the local
member; what has he been doing? He has been doing nothing. With respect to —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Ms M.J. Davies interjected.
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
National Party, I call you to order for the third time.
Mr F.M. LOGAN : With respect
to Liz Guidera, who is the president of Katanning shire, and who spoke to my
office, I texted back and forth with her yesterday about BlazeAid. I made it
very clear to her that the 457 visa issue is a federal issue. It is
immigration, so take that up with the local federal member.
Mr D.T. Redman interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Warren–Blackwood!
Mr D.T. Redman : Start doing
your job!
Mr F.M. LOGAN : Why do you not
do something, member for Warren–Blackwood?
The SPEAKER : Member for
Warren–Blackwood, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr D.T. Redman interjected.
Mr F.M. LOGAN : Like the guy
behind you —
The SPEAKER : Order, minister!
Member for Warren–Blackwood, I call you to order for the first and the
second time, because you are too busy talking to hear me say it the first time.
Minister, speak through the Chair, please.
Mr F.M. LOGAN : Thank you, Mr
Speaker.
The Nationals WA members seem to be long on talk and short on
action—as normal. They talk a lot in here. Try to get them to represent
their members —
The SPEAKER : Members of the
National Party, I do not want to have to throw you all out, but with the way
you are going, the only one who has any class today is your deputy leader!
Mr F.M. LOGAN : Thank you, Mr
Speaker.
As I have said —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr F.M. LOGAN : As I have
said, members of the National Party are long on talk and short on action. They
can represent their constituents by taking these issues up with their own
political colleagues in Canberra, and they fail to do so. I have done it, and,
with respect to the Katanning issue, it is still ongoing and still being
raised. Basically, I am doing the work for the member for Roe, down there, in his
own constituency. I would like him to now get up and say thanks.
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