Wednesday, 12 August 2026

 Nick McGOWAN (North-Eastern Metropolitan) (09:50): It would be remiss of me to allow the current chaos among those opposite to go unremarked.

A member interjected.

Nick McGOWAN: Yes, chaos. That is right. You heard me correctly. It would be particularly remiss of me not to mention the fact that in addition to the two portfolios I have responsibility for, one being the environment, which we now have had five ministers for –

Harriet Shing interjected.

Nick McGOWAN: They are not portfolios for those opposite, former Minister Shing, because you guys treat them like playing cards. You swap them around so quickly we cannot keep track of who has got what – neither can those opposite. Five environment ministers in four years, but that is not the point of today’s members statement. The point of today’s members statement is actually to highlight one delinquent minister in particular, and that minister is Minister Ward. Minister Ward has to be the first minister in living history to have never attended a single fire station in this state. What an absolute disgrace. I am happy to be corrected and happy for the minister and those opposite to list the singular FRV-dedicated fire station, not a combined fire station with CFA –

Members interjecting.

Nick McGOWAN: Oh, so she does not want to represent the 4000 firefighters for whom she did nothing in her entire tenure, in addition to which that minister never once attended a graduation ceremony for a single FRV firefighter in her entire period. What a disgraceful service her period was.