Aaron Violi (Casey, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

At home in Casey we rely heavily on our first responders. First responders are one of the resources that you are proud to have but hope you never need. As scenic as the Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges are, our area has had its fair share of natural disasters. Time and time again we have found ourselves relying on the police and our selfless volunteers with the CFA and the SES.

This is something I know all too well, having narrowly escaped the Black Saturday bushfires in 2009. Our communities were again left battered after the June 2021 storms and the recent floods, and this was yet another reminder of how important first responders are to our electorate. In times of emergency, we rely on courageous volunteer firefighters with the local CFA and rescue teams from the SES. There are at least 31 volunteer fire brigades and several SES units across Casey. The people out there in fire pumpers on Black Saturday working hard to save life and property also had homes of their own under threat. Many of them were locals, all impacted in one way or another, but they still worked tirelessly for the benefit of the wider community.

The courage of our first responders to be on the scene when we need them most is not something we should ever take for granted. A day in the life of a first responder includes attending fatal car crashes, suicides, fires, floods and other emergencies. It's not a day you can debrief with your family at the dinner table. First responders are so busy being there for everyone else that they forget to prioritise their own wellbeing. There were 197 intentional self-harm deaths of current or former police, ambulance and fire service employees reported to the coroner across Australia from 2001 to 2016. Unfortunately the electorate of Casey was impacted by this as well. But behind these numbers are people—mums and dads, families and communities.

That's why the former coalition government provided $10 million in funding for Fortem Australia, a not-for-profit organisation that provides specialised wellbeing and mental health support to first responders and their families. Fortem Australia uses research and best practice to support the health and wellbeing of people, and the families of people, who work or have worked in national security and emergency response roles. The families of first responders sacrifice time with their loved ones so they can go out and support Australians in natural disasters and emergencies. They face life-or-death situations every single day and the trauma that comes with that is deep and ongoing, and we owe it to first responders to do what we can to help in return. Fortem Australia is a perfect example of an organisation making a difference in this space while also recognising the impact on the responders' families.

It's a disgrace that the Albanese government removed funding for Fortem Australia in their October 2022 budget. The budget was a test for Labor and they failed. They ripped away funding that quite literally saved lives. That is, of course, until last week, when the government backflipped on their decision and decided to once again follow in the footsteps of the coalition by supporting first responders. Managing Director of Fortem Australia, John Bale, made a public plea for the government to reinstate the funding, something that he should never have had to do. He said the organisation can't keep up with the number of first responders seeking support. He said they currently provide 300 psychological sessions a month and warned that people would die if this didn't continue. The government might think they can save face by reinstating that funding, but first responders and their families should never have had to question whether than support would be available.

To seek support takes courage, and I am pleased to see that this funding has been reinstated, but I condemn the government for making such an important organisation plead for funding that literally saves the lives of the people who save others' lives. We must do everything we can to support our first responders. I will always stand by our hardworking emergency service workers and I thank them sincerely for all they do in the community—in Casey and across the nation.

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