A Member of Parliament questions the Minister for Emergency Services' stance on volunteer meetings with MPs, alleging potential restrictions and questioning the minister's engagement with the volunteer community. The Minister denies any restrictions and affirms engagement.

AnsweredQoN 1062Legislative Council
Asked
1 November 2018
Portfolio
Emergency Services

QuestionView source ↗

DEPARTMENT OF FIRE AND
EMERGENCY SERVICES — MEETINGS — MINISTERIAL APPROVAL
1062. Hon COLIN de GRUSSA to the minister representing the
Minister for Emergency Services:
I refer to the minister's
response to question without notice 1026 asked on Tuesday, 30 October 2018,
regarding members of Parliament meeting with emergency services volunteers in
which the minister states that he ''has a duty to prevent politicisation
of volunteers''.
(1) Can the
minister confirm whether he or the Department of Fire and Emergency Services
have any authority to prevent volunteers from meeting with members of
Parliament in their own time?
(2) Please table any advice provided
by DFES to the minister in relation to these meetings.
(3) Is the
minister suggesting in his response that volunteers are incapable of making
their own political decisions or judgements when meeting with members of
Parliament?
(4) Is the minister's implication that
volunteers are confused about who is the Minister for Emergency Services an
admission that he is failing to properly engage with the volunteer community?

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question.
(1) The minister
may facilitate access to state government personnel or infrastructure when
members of Parliament request it.
(2) Not applicable.
(3) No.
(4) The premise
of this question is incorrect. The minister has personally met with hundreds of
volunteers across WA during this term of government.

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