Hon Martin Aldridge questions the Minister for Emergency Services regarding presumptive cancer coverage for firefighters, highlighting discrepancies between WA and Commonwealth protections and seeking clarification on government engagement with the UPFU.

AnsweredQoN 257Legislative Council
Asked
16 March 2023
Portfolio
Emergency Services

QuestionView source ↗

FIREFIGHTERS — PRESUMED CANCERS
257. Hon MARTIN ALDRIDGE to the Minister for Emergency Services:
I refer to the campaign of the
United Professional Firefighters Union of Australia to include eight additional
cancers in the scheme of presumptive cancers.
(1) Is the
minister aware that firefighters working in WA but employed by the
commonwealth, including those working at Perth Airport, have greater workplace
protections than WA firefighters?
(2) How does the minister intend to
address this inequity?
(3) Has the minister met with the UPFU regarding this
request; and, if so, on what date?
(4) Has the
minister or the government advised the UPFU that any expansions to presumptive
protections must be bargained for as part of enterprise bargaining agreement
negotiations?

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the
honourable member for some notice of the question.
(1)–(3) The
commonwealth and ACT governments recently expanded presumptive cancer coverage.
Although the workers compensation scheme is the responsibility of the Minister
for Industrial Relations, both of us have been engaging with the UPFU on this
complex issue over many months.
(4) Not to my
knowledge.

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