Russell Broadbent (Monash, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Ian Ronald Symonds is a man I loved the first time I met him. He was the regional officer for region 8 for the CFA. He was liaison officer with the shire council's fire prevention committee. He was also instrumental in calming the waters in difficult times. In tough times, which Ash Wednesday was, Ian Symonds took the lead role in our community from the fire service perspective. My respect for him grew every day not only as I saw him handle the difficult fire situation we were facing and the deaths we were facing and the trauma that the community was facing but as I saw how he managed to bring people together. He was just awarded the Australian Fire Service Medal after a long, long career with the CFA. He is greatly loved. He is still working with his community in many ways.

I tabled a document in this House not long ago from an anonymous person—I think I now know who that person might have been—who had great and amazing knowledge of where the nation should be going and what we should be doing in regard to the fires that we have confronted in the past and, sadly, we will confront into the future again. There are things we can do if we follow dear Mr Ian Ronald Symonds's way. He has been a great advocate for himself and the CFA but also for the broader community. Thank you, Ian.

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