Jacqui Lambie (Tasmania, Jacqui Lambie Network) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is for the Minister for Emergency Management, Minister Watt. Minister, you said this week that you're talking to the defence minister about the need for a stand-by emergency response workforce to clean up after the fires and floods across the country. I am with you on that, but I can assure you we are flying by the seat of our pants when it comes to a national emergency response in this country to deal with national disasters. I'm just wondering what, exactly, you've been speaking to the defence minister about?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thanks, Senator Lambie, for your interest in this issue. Obviously, north-west Tasmania, an area you're very familiar with, has experienced floods over the last couple of weeks, so these issues are very topical in that part of the world. It has been reported a number of times now that our government is giving consideration to how we as a country should properly resource disaster management in terms of both the immediate response and the longer term recovery. I think the reality that we're all seeing unfold before our eyes is that climate change is here. We are seeing more regular, more frequent and more intense natural disasters, and we haven't been well enough prepared as a country. Frankly, the federal government hasn't been well enough prepared in the past either, and this is one example of that.

I have begun some discussions with the defence minister, along with other colleagues and a range of non-profit groups, about how we can make sure that as a country we do have, effectively, the workforce—whether it be paid or volunteer—to cope with the size of the task that we are now facing. Even with what we're facing at the moment, and this is just in October, I've already updated the chamber about the number of ADF personnel we've activated across Victoria and New South Wales. They, of course, supplement the many hundreds and even thousands of SES personnel, paid emergency services workers, volunteers and other groups as well, which again shows the size of the task.

This work we're undertaking is at a very early stage. We are open to a range of options about how we meet the future workforce needs. The point about the ADF—and I mentioned this in my earlier answer—is: quite apart from the incredible practical difference they make on the ground, helping people clean up and recover from disasters, they provide an enormous morale boost to communities, when the trucks roll in. The reality is: we need to make sure we don't stretch them too far when they have a core job, that being protecting the nation, as well.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Lambie, first supplementary?

Jacqui Lambie (Tasmania, Jacqui Lambie Network) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, the ADF have said that disaster clean-up is becoming a distraction from their main job, which is to protect the country. We're not going to set up this new workforce overnight. We know our third La Nina period is going to happen over summer. What provisions, if any, are in today's budget that will set up an emergency response workforce, or are we not there yet?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Lambie, this being my first budget participating as a minister, I'm not about to give away details of the Treasurer's budget. I can say there are going to be some very strong commitments in the disaster management space tonight. You may be aware we made an election commitment to provide a grant to Disaster Relief Australia, a veteran led volunteer organisation you're no doubt familiar with. We're fighting hard to make sure we deliver that commitment. Of course, any work the federal government does in this space is to supplement the leadership role that states and territories play. We don't want to come in over the top of states and territories. We want to supplement them with ADF work resources, volunteer organisations and a range of NGOs as well.

The former government had 10 years to get these things right. They didn't. We're now here. Now we're trying to fix their mess in this space, as we are in so many others.

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Actually, we are taking responsibility. It's a foreign concept, I understand. (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Lambie, second supplementary?

Jacqui Lambie (Tasmania, Jacqui Lambie Network) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Right now, we know that we don't have nearly enough boots on the ground; that's not going to change. Unemployment is crazy low right now. Have you asked your department to look at how we recruit people to do these things? If so, what models are they considering?

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I can understand yet again why the opposition are so sensitive about this. They had 10 years to do something about these issues and did nothing. Here we are, fixing their mess, making sure we are properly prepared as a country for natural disasters, making sure we have a workforce to deal with these events. Rather than running around pretending climate change isn't real, we're actually taking a responsible approach to this.

I might answer your question in two ways, Senator Lambie. The first answer is: I have seen myself publicity about the fact our government intends to launch a recruitment campaign for ADF personnel more generally. Separate to that: in the disaster space, as I said, we made an election commitment to fund one particular organisation to add to the ADF work, which adds itself to the SES and other state based organisations. We're in discussions with a range of other not-for-profit groups about what can be done. I'd be more than happy to take any views you have, Senator Lambie, about how we can do this better as a country, because I know you, unlike a number of other people, are serious about these issues.