Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I would like to commend everybody who has spoken today on the bill. My pen has been busy crossing out paragraphs so that do I not go into duplication, because I know we are under a lot of time pressure. But the very fine words that have been spoken right across the chamber I think are a testament to the commitment to this bill from both sides since its presentation to the House of Representatives by the member for McMillan and the member for Melbourne, both Victorians and who both had personal experience with the volunteer brigades in Victoria during the 2009 bushfire season. I will keep my comments short. Firefighters are asked to take risks that would be unacceptable in any other work environment. All career and volunteer members need our recognition and our thanks. For the record I would particularly like to thank Victorian firefighters, both paid and unpaid, for their efforts, their work and their dedication to the safety of Victorians in regional and metropolitan areas. I genuinely thank them for putting their lives at risk running into danger, towards the fire, when most of us are running the other way.

The Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Amendment (Fair Protection for Firefighters) Bill was the subject of one of my first Senate inquiries, where we examined the detail of it. It has inspired me to comment today. I would like to thank those members of the service who personally gave their stories. I also thank their families. That had a significant impact on me personally. It supported the understanding that we need a legislative framework to provide security and support for all our firefighters and their families.

The purpose of the bill is to create a legal presumption that employment is the dominant cause of certain types of cancer in the event that the firefighter has been employed for a certain period and is then diagnosed as having the disease. We recognise that their employment is the cause of their disease.

In the additional comments made to the Senate inquiry, coalition senators wholeheartedly shared the committee's majority objective of securing a workable compensatory system for firefighters who became ill with cancer related to their service. However, there was obviously recognition that some coalition senators remain to be convinced that presumptive legislation was necessarily the best mechanism to achieve this.

The bill replicates similar legislation in force in Canada and in the US. In those two jurisdictions volunteer numbers differ quite significantly from our own. Paid and unpaid firefighters are exposed to the same risks; they are all fighting fires where they can be exposed to dangers and chemicals that can impact on their health.

As a member of the committee I would like to thank the chair, Senator Marshall, and my colleague Senator Back for their approach and genuine participation in seeking a bipartisan response on this issue. I would also like to personally thank Senator Abetz for his leadership. I think it does need recognition.

I also agree with other senators' comments on the professionalism of the campaign—I love my helmet, thank you very much. In the interests of time I will finish my comments there.