Wednesday, 8 March 2023

 Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (12:00): (65) My question is to the Minister for Emergency Services. Minister, do you believe it is still appropriate for the United Firefighters Union management to have access to Fire Rescue Victoria IT systems, with data and information that includes private details of staff and victims of fires in Victoria?

Jaclyn Symes: On a point of order, President, I just seek your guidance. Ms Crozier is asking me for an opinion. Her specific question is: do I think something is appropriate?

The PRESIDENT: I will let Ms Crozier rephrase it.

Georgie CROZIER: Thank you, President. So, Minister: why is it still appropriate for the United Firefighters Union management to have access to Fire Rescue Victoria IT systems, with data and information that includes private details of staff and victims of fires in Victoria?

The PRESIDENT: Ms Crozier, I am happy for you to have another attempt. It was close.

Georgie CROZIER: President, I thank you for the indulgence. It is an important issue because it goes to the heart of what my question is asking, because it is about access. Does the government’s policy support the United Firefighters Union management having access to Fire Rescue Victoria IT systems, where data and information are stored that include private details of staff and victims of fires in Victoria?

 Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (12:02): Thank you, Ms Crozier, for your question. What you are trying to draw me into is whether there is a conflict between the union doing its job to support its members and FRV’s responsibilities as an employer. I think what might be useful for you in answering your question is that in relation to the latest cyber attack, for instance, we were in a situation where firefighters’ and staff’s personal information was potentially compromised. FRV worked very closely with the UFU in supporting all of those that were potentially impacted. They have very high coverage rates, the UFU. Most firefighters are members of that union, and they take the wellbeing of their members very seriously. So a collaboration between FRV and UFU in relation to people’s private information in that instance was incredibly important because it was enabling the two organisations, the industrial parties, to come up with solutions to support the workforce to ensure that they had protection measures and they were aware of all of the potential consequences of this cyberattack. I have got to commend the working partnership between FRV and UFU in protecting all firefighters’ and staff’s private information, ensuring people were informed of the process, and that collaboration continues.

 Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (12:04): I thank the minister for her response. It is a serious issue around access of data, and I think there are many Victorians that are concerned about that. So, Minister, are you aware or has your office been informed at any stage whether the United Firefighters Union has been blocking upgrades to the IT systems at Fire Rescue Victoria using the veto powers that your government handed to the union?

 Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Attorney-General, Minister for Emergency Services) (12:04): It is an allegation that you have just kind of put out there. If you had listened to my answer to the first question, it is an important collaboration in relation to responding to the cyber attack that hit FRV, and the union have been very supportive of their members and collaborative with FRV.