Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority
Ms CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (12:08): My question is to the Minister for Emergency Services. Minister, did recommendations from Graham Ashton’s secret report into ESTA prompt the funding announcement in the budget last week, or is this money to fix additional problems?
Ms SYMES (Northern Victoria—Leader of the Government, Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (12:08): Ms Crozier, it is not a secret report. We announced the appointment of Mr Ashton. I have explained that the report has been received by me. I have read the report. There are government processes to go along. I think to give respect to the people that spoke to Mr Ashton on their views, they expect a government response with a report.
But in relation to your specific question, it is oversimplifying this whole thing. You think that since I have been minister I am waiting around for an independent report to start acting on supporting this organisation. That is ludicrous. Of course the funding announcement is not in direct response to Mr Ashton’s recommendations. I am very thankful for Mr Ashton’s work, but I am also thankful to the organisation which has been really focused on the challenges, focused on supporting its workforce and focused on improving call takers’ experience, and we are seeing those improvements day in, day out. Mr Ashton’s report is about the future state of the organisation. It looks at capability, governance and future reform. It is all important work, but to suggest that I am waiting for anybody’s independent report or anybody’s individual view before I act is certainly not the way I do business.
Ms CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (12:10): Minister, thank you for that response. I say again that these issues with ESTA have been known since 2016 and the government has failed to act on them. You have done a lot of consultancy and reviews that we cannot get access to either; you have denied those to the Parliament and the people of Victoria, as well as this ESTA report by Mr Ashton. Minister, this is an extremely serious issue. In recent times people have died on hold waiting for their call to be answered. Why wasn’t the $300 million allocated just recently—last week—allocated years ago when these problems first started?
Ms SYMES (Northern Victoria—Leader of the Government, Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (12:10): Ms Crozier, we continually have this conversation, and the fact that you have asked me a question like that indicates that you have not been following the narrative of the themes that we have been discussing in this place. I am very proud to have secured $333 million, but everybody in this chamber has heard me talking about investments since I have been the minister. There was last year’s budget to employ 43 additional call takers. In March I announced hundreds of millions of dollars to lift call taker and training capacity at the organisation. This is an ongoing reform that I have been driving since I have been in the role, since September. So to suggest that we only just started last week, when we announced $333 million, is ridiculous. As I have indicated in this chamber since January, I am very proud to report that there are ongoing improvements in call taking, reductions in delays in any call-taking things, and that is going to get better and better with the ongoing support of this government.
Ms CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (12:11): I move:
That the minister’s answer be taken into consideration.
I also note that your response was lodged to me after the time it was due.
The PRESIDENT: Order! Ms Crozier, you know the standing order. You just move the motion.
Motion agreed to.
Mr DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan—Leader of the Opposition) (12:12): I move, by leave:
That under standing order 11.01 the Ashton report on ESTA’s failings be tabled by the Leader of the Government in the house within three days of the passage of this motion.
The PRESIDENT: Mr Davis, I have just had advice. I am not convinced you can move it during question time, because if leave is granted then you can debate it, so my advice to you is to wait until after question time.