Wednesday, 9 March 2022

 Mr DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan—Leader of the Opposition) (12:22): My question is again to the Minister for Emergency Services. With the $115.6 million allocated to ESTA on Monday, you said that 120 new ongoing positions will all be filled by mid-2023. At $100 000 per year for call takers, that is $12 million per year. It is hard to see how this spending can exceed $45 million over four years, less than half the amount in the package. Minister, will you confirm that less than $45 million will be spent on call taker salaries or provide a precise figure?

 Ms SYMES (Northern Victoria—Leader of the Government, Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (12:23): Mr Davis, in relation to the recruiting of new staff for ESTA, you have to advertise, you have to interview, you have to train and then you start paying them. There are lots of steps to ensure that ESTA have the support they need to attract, retain and recruit new call takers, and we also want to make sure that we provide call takers with adequate support. We know firsthand from call takers’ experiences that it is a very traumatic job. I want to make sure that they are supported with mental health support when they have a distressing experience. There is a lot that goes into a workplace that is as complex as ESTA. I can confirm that all of the new positions will be progressively coming online by mid-2023, and that work is well underway.

 Mr DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan—Leader of the Opposition) (12:24): I note the minister still does not want to put precise figures on this, and I note that of the remaining amount, about $70 million, left of the package after call taker salaries—

Ms Symes interjected.

Mr DAVIS: No, I’m saying you won’t give details.

Members interjecting.

Mr DAVIS: No, no. Just listen. Of the remaining $70 million left in the package after call taker—

Ms Symes interjected.

The PRESIDENT: Order! From the beginning.

Mr DAVIS: Minister, of the remaining amount, about $70 million, left in the package after call taker salaries, how much will be spent on turning Victorians away from calling 000 services through what risks being the mother of all government pre-election advertising campaigns?

 Ms SYMES (Northern Victoria—Leader of the Government, Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (12:25): It is appalling where you are going with this. My announcement on Monday of $115 million was based on the advice of what ESTA told me they need. It was not me. I am not the expert in what the allocation of funds to run ESTA is. That is why I have been working very closely with the interim CEO and the deputy CEO, who provided me with what they needed, and that is what we delivered. In relation to recruitment and advertising, it is appropriate to encourage people to take on a rewarding job. In relation to ongoing education campaigns about making sure that you are accessing appropriate services, it is a combination between my department and the Department of Health. In relation to financial breakdowns of this package, I would be very happy to provide you with some more detail. I am sure I will get asked about it in the Public Accounts and Estimates Committee. But in relation to the funding that has been provided, it is what ESTA asked for and what they require to do the best— (Time expired)