Thursday, 10 March 2022

Questions without notice and ministers statements

Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority

Ms CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (12:00): My question is to the Minister for Emergency Services. Minister, it has recently been reported that the inspector-general for emergency management (IGEM), Mr Pearce, has written to the widow of Nick Panagiotopoulos and admits her husband’s death is ‘not an isolated incident’. Mr Pearce’s letter describes ‘the real and terrible consequences caused by delayed answering of 000 emergency calls’. Minister, doesn’t what Mr Pearce describes as ‘real and terrible consequences’ actually mean deaths caused by delayed answering of 000 emergency calls?

Ms SYMES (Northern Victoria—Leader of the Government, Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (12:01): I thank Ms Crozier for her question and indeed for highlighting the tragic case involving Belinda and Nick Panagiotopoulos. My condolences to that family and the experience of a delay in ESTA for them. The IGEM is responsible for receiving referrals from ESTA for a range of incidents that warrant further investigation, and certainly it is no indication that it is always related to a death at all. But it is appropriate to have these oversight bodies that ensure that the system can be improved and provide advice back to the organisation in relation to ongoing improvements. In relation to matters that have resulted in deaths, he looks at all of those, but he looks at other incidents as well.

Ms CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (12:02): It is pretty obvious that there have been far too many deaths, as we all know. Minister, Mr Pearce has said he would report his findings to you. Will you ensure that the report that Mr Pearce does provide to you is made public, and when will that be?

Ms SYMES (Northern Victoria—Leader of the Government, Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (12:02): I am advised that I will receive that report by June. In relation to these matters, it is not my intention to provide a commitment to making things public that I have not yet seen. However, I want to be absolutely accountable and open and transparent in this space, and I hope I am bringing that to the chamber as much as possible in answering the several questions that I get in relation to this important matter. But what is important to note is that, as you have identified, some of these matters may be subject to coronial investigations, so it would be inappropriate for me to provide a commitment to make a report that I have not seen yet public. It may undermine that process. However, it would be my intention to bring to this house as much information as possible.