Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority
Mr DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan—Leader of the Opposition) (12:02): My question is to the Minister for Emergency Services. Minister, the still secret inspector-general for emergency management (IGEM) report presumably addresses 000 answering times, and therefore I ask: in relation to the requirement to answer a call in 5 seconds, does this begin at the start of the call or at the end of the 16-second education message, meaning every call in Victoria is answered 11 seconds later than the 5-second benchmark?
Ms SYMES (Northern Victoria—Leader of the Government, Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (12:02): I thank Mr Davis for his question. You have asked a few separate questions in there. There is no secret report. Everyone knows that IGEM has conducted an investigation or written a report in relation to COVID-19 pandemic surge ambulance call related issues, and that report will be released shortly. In relation to your question about call answer speeds, there is no national message at the moment. It got taken off about six or seven days ago, so that is no longer relevant to the question that you ask. But if you had asked it last week or the week before, my answer would have been that the 5 seconds starts once Telstra has transferred the call to ESTA.
Mr DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan—Leader of the Opposition) (12:03): Thank you for the answer, Minister, but I take that to mean—I am just trying to work it out—that the time is actually starting at the beginning and it is actually thereby late. But anyway, my simple question is—
Ms Symes: No, that’s not right.
Mr DAVIS: That’s not right? Okay. I will read closely what you said. Will the secret IGEM report be tabled before Parliament rises?
Members interjecting.
Mr DAVIS: Will it be available to the Parliament before it rises?
Ms SYMES (Northern Victoria—Leader of the Government, Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (12:04): All right, let us fix a few of the things you have said.
Ms Crozier: Before the Parliament rises, will it be made available to the public?
Ms SYMES: Well, how about you ask the questions, because that is a much better question than the one Mr Davis asked. To repeat Ms Crozier’s question—
Members interjecting.
Ms SYMES: It is the IGEM that releases the report, and under the legislation that is upon my request. That is a report that will be made publicly available, so everyone in Victoria will have access to it.
Mr Davis: Before the Parliament rises?
Ms SYMES: Yes.