POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS
DISORDER PRESUMPTION — FIRST RESPONDERS
383. Hon MARTIN ALDRIDGE to the Minister for Emergency
Services:
I refer to the media statement
entitled ''PTSD presumption for ambulance workers'' published on
Boxing Day, 26 December 2021.
(1) Has the government provided
similar protections to emergency service volunteers and career officers?
(2) If no to (1), why not?
(3) Noting the
comments of the Minister for Industrial Relations that ''it's
important our highly valued health care workers, who provide an essential service
to our community, are protected and not unfairly burdened with workers'
compensation claims'', when will the government protect our highly
valued emergency service workers and volunteers?
Hon
STEPHEN DAWSON replied:
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question.
(1) No.
(2)–(3) The post-traumatic stress disorder presumption for
ambulance workers delivered on a McGowan government election commitment. The government is awaiting
the finalisation of work being undertaken at the national level that is examining a national approach
regarding presumptive liability for first responders with PTSD.