Wednesday, 11 May 2022

Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority

Mr GUY (Bulleen—Leader of the Opposition) (14:16): My question is to the Premier. Following the deaths of 15 Victorians who died waiting for an ambulance to turn up, can the Premier advise the house whether he has now read Graham Ashton’s report into ambulance response capability?

Mr ANDREWS (Mulgrave—Premier) (14:17): Well, a couple of points: firstly, it is for the coroner to determine the cause of death. That is a well-established practice and I think an important principle. It is not for the Leader of the Opposition or any on his side or indeed anyone in this place to make those sorts of determinations. That is not a political process. That is a deeply personal, very, very challenging series of events that is filled with grief and is not made any easier by people making political assumptions and trying to seek political advantage by making those sorts of sweeping statements. It will be for the coroner and other proper independent processes to make those judgements, not—with respect—for the Leader of the Opposition to make those comments.

Second point: he is completely and utterly wrong. Graham Ashton is conducting a review into ESTA. ESTA, the Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority, is not just about ambulance—

Members interjecting.

Mr ANDREWS: You do not even know what it is about, and yet you are questioning.

Members interjecting.

Mr ANDREWS: On these matters the only thing stunning here is your galloping misunderstanding of just about every issue that matters except your own narrow political interests—and even on that you are wrong. You are nothing but a low-roader, and every Victorian knows it. The government has just provided a massive boost with hundreds of additional call takers because 000 is receiving thousands of additional calls. We have supported our ESTA system like no other and that review will be concluded—

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! Just before calling the Leader of The Nationals, I remind members I have warned them they will be leaving the chamber without further warning if they shout across the chamber.

Mr Walsh: On a point of order, Speaker, the Premier has had 2½ minutes to answer the question. He has not addressed the question yet. I would ask you to bring him back to actually answering the question: has he read the Aston report or not?

The SPEAKER: Order! I was listening very carefully to the question that was asked and the answer given, and he is being relevant to the question. I do ask the Premier to direct his—

Mr Battin: He called the Leader of the Opposition a low-roader.

The SPEAKER: The member for Gembrook can leave the chamber for the period of 1 hour. I do ask the Premier to direct his contribution through the Chair.

Member for Gembrook withdrew from chamber.

Mr ANDREWS: Speaker, through you, as I was saying, the budget provides a massive, unprecedented boost to ESTA. There is a process that is not yet complete and involves the former chief commissioner, to whom I am very grateful. The cabinet has had all manner of deliberations and discussions and subcommittees of cabinet, and we will report progress on these matters. The main person with responsibility for these matters is in fact the person who commissioned the review, which would be the emergency services minister.

Members interjecting.

Mr ANDREWS: Well, the Leader of the Opposition can play all manner of games, but this is not a game; it is very serious. It is very serious, and if the Leader of the Opposition has got a criticism to make, an allegation to make, a contention to draw other than these silly word games—this review is not yet complete, or the process around it. When it is, we will make further announcements, but the Leader of the Opposition and all Victorians can rest assured: this work and lots of other work has definitely informed the government’s record, unprecedented investment just last week in ESTA and its capability for the future.

Mr GUY (Bulleen—Leader of the Opposition) (14:20): Why, despite more than a dozen Victorians dying waiting for ambulances, hasn’t Graham Ashton’s report—the one the Premier has stunningly, weeks after getting it, told us he has not bothered to even read—been released? Why, after 15 people have died, hasn’t the report been released by the Andrews government as a matter of priority and urgency?

Mr ANDREWS (Mulgrave—Premier) (14:21): As a matter of priority and urgency the Treasurer last week delivered a budget with the biggest boost to ESTA in its history. I well remember when we came to government in 2014—no pandemic, no one-in-100-year event, but the worst ambulance performance in this state’s history. No pandemic. It was not a matter of chance; it was a matter of choice. They chose to go to war with our ambos. They chose to cut funding. And this one sat around the cabinet table and cheered them on.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! I remind the Premier to refer to honourable members by their correct titles.

Mr R Smith: On a point of order, Speaker, 69 families waited anxiously for their calls to 000 to be answered last night and the Premier cannot even tell us if he has read the report or not.

The SPEAKER: Order! The point of order is?

Mr R Smith: A matter of decency.

The SPEAKER: There is no point of order.

Mr ANDREWS: We will continue to support ESTA call takers and dispatchers. If only the noise of those who cheered in the cabinet room when ambulance funding was cut mattered then and now. Of course they do not. We will keep supporting ESTA. Be in no doubt about that.

Mr Southwick: On a point of order, Speaker, question time is not the opportunity to attack the opposition. The opposition leader—

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: Order! The Leader of the House! The Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party has the call.

Mr Southwick: The opposition leader has asked a question: why hasn’t the report been released to the public, in which people have died—

The SPEAKER: Order! I heard the question.

Mr Southwick: and we would ask you please to ask the Premier to come back to answering that question.

The SPEAKER: The Premier has concluded his answer.