Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority
Ms CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (12:04): My question is again to the Minister for Emergency Services. Minister, the 2020–21 ESTA annual report had a total of 39 consultancies, including one from KPMG for a project entitled ‘Call taking and dispatch sustain upgrade project’, so I ask: have the findings and recommendations from that project been fully implemented?
Ms SYMES (Northern Victoria—Leader of the Government, Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (12:04): Ms Crozier, there is a lot of effort going into improving ESTA’s core performance, supporting the staff and indeed attracting and retaining existing staff. Part of that is also looking at systems and upgrades and indeed just basic call-taking scripts and the like in conjunction with the task force that has been set up with relevant agencies, including police, fire and ambulance, of course. In relation to all of the initiatives that have been implemented and continue to be implemented, we are committed to making sure that we support this hardworking agency to do the important work they do, and that is obviously to respond to Victorians’ concerns at some of the most challenging times. That effort is not something that has an end date, and we will continue to focus on improvements and supporting that agency.
Ms CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (12:05): Thank you, Minister, for that response, where you did say that a lot of effort has been going into looking at this issue. Minister, Ernst & Young also did a consultancy: ‘Funding model framework and call taking and dispatch sustain project review’. KPMG and Ernst & Young have undertaken separate consultancies around call taking and dispatch. You have just said that there is effort going in, but ESTA is still having significant issues with call taking and dispatch of emergency services that have resulted in Victorians tragically dying. Minister, these two consultancies were undertaken and you are saying that more effort is being put in, but why are Victorians tragically dying because they cannot get through to 000?
Ms SYMES (Northern Victoria—Leader of the Government, Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (12:06): Ms Crozier, I have responded to these types of questions and commentary from you and others. It is incredibly inappropriate for someone of your standing to make allegations and attribute blame to—
Ms Crozier: On a point of order, President, this is fact. There are 000 calls not being responded to and people are dying, so I would ask you to bring the minister back to the question about why these consultancies are being undertaken on this very important issue and there are still significant issues with ESTA.
Mr Davis: On a separate point of order, President, on the minister’s suggestion that certain questions ought not to be asked in this chamber, questions about life and death with these ambulance matters should be allowed to be asked, including ESTA, and they should not be ruled out by the minister.
The PRESIDENT: I ask the minister to continue.
Ms SYMES: President, it is absolutely inaccurate and inappropriate to attribute cause of death to injury following any emergency incident. That is a role for the coroner, not for political pointscoring. It is offensive to the families, and I think it adds unnecessary trauma. I cannot direct you, Mr Davis, I admit that, but I would urge you to actually think of victims’ families before you start to use them as your political play tools. I would continue to put on record my admiration and thanks to the hardworking staff at ESTA, who are on the front line every day and who are also affected by these emergencies and when there are deaths. They continue to show their commitment and dedication throughout unprecedented demand, and I support them in their efforts.