Thursday, 31 August 2023

Adjournment

Volunteer firefighters

Brad BATTIN (Berwick) (17:09): (331) My adjournment tonight is to the Minister for Emergency Services in the other house, and the action I ask for is for the minister to launch an investigation in relation to a specific claim of a volunteer CFA firefighter by the name of Tony Lukas. Tony has dedicated 55 years to the CFA. He is one of the proudest men I have known in my area. I have known him for a long time, and the work he did with the CFA is nothing short of astounding. During his time, like many of our volunteer firefighters, he faced some challenges, particularly attending events that created concern for him and long-term PTSD. He got to a stage with work where he had to reduce his work and eventually move away from it. It also impacted his home life and impacted his financial position. It eventually got to a stage too where he could not leave his house for about 12 months. Tony, when you speak to him about this, it almost comes across – and it should not – that he feels embarrassed about what has happened. But the way he has been treated by CFA is something that needs to be investigated, particularly around the actual claim, what he got and how he was treated during that claim. I think it is important that the minister does review this, but whilst reviewing it I would encourage the minister to have a look at all claims that are going through, particularly around PTSD and other injuries that you can sustain whilst you are in the fire services.

CFA volunteers are treated differently to career firefighters when it comes to claims around PTSD, injuries on the job and death, and that includes the amount that they can get paid out. I think many of us would be surprised to hear that in 2011–12 a firefighter who ended up with a total and permanent disability and could not return to work could get a maximum of $311,000. That was in 2011–12, but the sad thing is that in 2023–24 it is exactly the same as it was back then, so you could imagine the pressures on someone who has dedicated their life in volunteering. It is something where we need to make sure that we protect them, because our message to the next generation of volunteers coming through cannot be just ‘We love the work you do and we like to give you a cuddle at the end of it and bring you to our events to put a medal on your chest’. It has to be also ‘If anything happens to you, we will have your back, we will have your family’s back’, because if these people go out into our community and volunteer where they could end up losing their life, we need to make sure that they can safely say in their own mind when they go out to a job that their family is going to be taken care of by government.

I ask the minister to please review this one. I am happy to work with the minister to get all the information that we can. There are some parts that are just too sensitive to put in here, as you would understand. I think Tony would be very happy to speak to the minister to get all the advice on there, have an investigation and ensure it is not just an outcome for Tony but for all volunteers here in Victoria.