Thursday, 4 August 2022

Firefighters presumptive rights legislation

Ms MAXWELL (Northern Victoria) (10:44): I had the opportunity on Friday, 29 July, to attend the District 24 CFA medal presentations. It was a great opportunity to thank the recipients of those awards for their contributions to assisting and supporting our local communities. Whilst I was there I was also able to have a discussion with CFA chief officer Jason Heffernan, emergency management commissioner Andrew Crisp and Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria chief officer Adam Barnett. We spoke about presumptive rights for female-specific cancers for female firefighters. We had a great conversation about that. It was not our first conversation, and I have to say that they were incredibly supportive. We know now that there is also new scientific evidence which has come out of some other global jurisdictions, so I just want to say today: come on, Attorney-General, you said you would draft legislation and bring it to this Parliament so that females can have some equality in firefighting. We need those female-specific presumptive rights to come into this Parliament this year, before 26 November.