Thursday, 30 October 2025

 Gaelle BROAD (Northern Victoria) (13:01): (1937) My question is to the Minister for WorkSafe and the TAC. I refer to the case of Mr Andrew Bishop, an experienced emergency service worker and health and safety representative, who was stood down by National Patient Transport after taking a photo of a rolled ambulance in Myrtleford on 29 June 2024. Mr Bishop shared the image to highlight the extreme fatigue faced by paramedics, one of whom had reportedly been working for over 18 hours straight. According to news reports:

When the image went public it sparked first a bungled response from Ambulance Victoria, followed by a no confidence motion in the CEO and mounting pressure on the government to ease paramedics' workloads.

Victorian Ambulance Union secretary Danny Hill said:

From our point of view he’s done a service both to his colleagues and to the community …

Yet soon after the image was aired, Mr Bishop was told he had been stood down. Minister, I understand that Mr Bishop first raised these matters in April and wrote to your office on 14 August and again on 2 September this year, but he has received no reply. Can you please explain why your office or WorkSafe Victoria have not yet responded to these legitimate safety concerns as required under section 131 of the act, and will you ensure his inquiry is properly investigated so that no worker is punished for speaking up about fatigue and public safety?