Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Management Jacquie Petrusma was deliberately misleading when asked important questions around aerial firefighting platforms in Parliament today.
Shadow Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Management Michelle O'Byrne said the Minister failed to adequately answer a serious question.
"Tasmanian taxpayers paid $1.7 million for an aerial platform to assist firefighters in Hobart to fight fires in multiple story buildings," Ms O'Byrne said.
"When it arrived last year, the platform didn't meet basic safety standards and it took until June this year to be fixed. Despite it now being adjusted to meet those standards there are still not enough staff appropriately trained to actually use the equipment."
Ms O'Byrne said a single platform requires four trained staff, yet as the Minister herself said, we do not meet this number.
"Today the Minister chose spin over the truth. Despite her claims that the platform is in use, without trained staff to use it, it is unable to be operated.
"Very serious concerns have been raised around this issue and it is incredibly disappointing that the answers were not as serious as the issue at hand.
"Minister Petrusma needs to correct the record and tell the truth. This firefighting equipment could save lives and we must have enough trained firefighters to use it."
Michelle O'Byrne MP
Shadow Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Management
