Wednesday, 8 June 2022

Ministers statements: Thank a First Responder Day

Mr ANDREWS (Mulgrave—Premier) (14:09): I am very pleased today to update the house on our record support for Victoria’s first responders. Throughout flood, fire and a one-in-100-year pandemic event, our firefighters, our ambulance paramedics, Victoria Police officers and SES volunteers have sacrificed so much for our state. They have given so, so much in our darkest times. We are of course always grateful for the work that they do and their contribution, their skill, their compassion and their heroism. On this Thank a First Responder Day, on behalf of our government and every single Victorian, we say thank you for all of those qualities and for that courage and service. It is quite amazing. They are the best of us, and it is only appropriate this day and all days that we thank them for all that they do.

Of course it is not just about words, though; it is also about providing substantial support. We are very proud as a government on behalf of all Victorians to have delivered more than 2000 additional paramedics to Ambulance Victoria—not cutting paramedics but boosting their numbers and providing new equipment, more resources and fair pay rather than protracted industrial disputation. Some described it as a war on our ambos. Beyond that we have provided very strong funding for our SES services and CFA and FRV stations, with life-saving equipment and other resources, training—all manner of other supports to support them as they run towards the danger that the rest of us perhaps would not do. They are the best of us, out there keeping us safe, putting themselves in harm’s way, and the least we can do is provide additional resources and supports. And of course if I can finish with the most recent 3135 additional members of Victoria Police funded and delivered by our government—502 police and 50 PSOs funded just a couple of weeks ago.