Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority
Ms CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (12:20): My question is to the Minister for Emergency Services. Minister, in June last year there were fears glitches and serious outages to 000 could result in the deaths of at least 18 people a day. In May 2021 the 000 system was offline for hours following months of outages. In October the family of Nick Panagiotopoulos waited 15 minutes to speak to an ambulance dispatcher, but tragically the response to attend was too late. I refer to an article in the Age in early January where senior health sources told that paper that they were aware of eight deaths and serious incidents between October and January of this year. So I ask: what is the total number of Victorians that have died as a result of the failures within ESTA since last October?
Ms SYMES (Northern Victoria—Leader of the Government, Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (12:21): Ms Crozier, I am not sure how many times I have to explain that it is not a matter for you or me to attribute a cause of death or injury to an incident that involves a call to 000, which is answered by a federal call taker, transferred to ESTA, which is picked up by a call taker, with then can be referred to the RefCom unit with the Ambulance Victoria dispatch people, who then go on to determine whether an ambulance should be dispatched or not and who then seek to find an appropriately located ambulance and advise where it should go. Then, if required, it may end up at an emergency department. There are many issues to be considered, so when there is a fatality or an adverse outcome that has involved an emergency response, the appropriate people to interrogate that are not politicians. We have the inspector-general for emergency management (IGEM) to do that and, in the case of death, the coroner. It is not for me to attribute any cause of death; that is a role for the coroner.
Ms CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (12:23): I note in the minister’s answer she is trying to shift blame to the federal government yet again. She knows and I know, and I have asked questions about this from the federal minister in relation to 000. By way of supplementary, it has also been reported that at least four deaths have been referred to the Coroners Court due to possible delays by ESTA being a factor in their deaths. The Coroners Court is awaiting the findings of the inspector-general for emergency management following that inquiry having been launched. Too many Victorians are dying as a result of the failings within ESTA, Minister, so when will the findings of the inspector-general for emergency management be finalised, and will the coroner be reviewing any deaths as a result of ESTA’s failings?
Ms SYMES (Northern Victoria—Leader of the Government, Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (12:23): You have contradicted yourself a bit in that question, Ms Crozier, by saying that ESTA would be a possible factor but then you go on to somehow put yourself in the shoes of the coroner, without details and without speaking to victims and those that have been involved, and attributing the cause of death to ESTA. I will continue to support the hardworking folk at ESTA. They are on the front line, day in, day out, answering emergency calls and taking appropriate action so that Victorians can get support. The coroner is an independent body, as is the IGEM, and they are appropriate to take the steps needed to make appropriate inquiries and to be the ones who—
Ms Crozier interjected.
Ms SYMES: It is inappropriate that independent bodies be directed by the minister or indeed any politician for that matter.