AMBULANCE WORKERS — PROTECTIONS
578. Hon COLIN de GRUSSA to the parliamentary secretary
representing the Minister for Industrial Relations:
I ask this question on behalf of Hon Martin Aldridge, who is away on urgent
parliamentary business.
I refer to the Minister for Health's
media statement on Boxing Day 2021 on presumptive post-traumatic stress
disorder protections for ambulance workers.
(1) Given that
the ambulance service is overwhelmingly delivered by volunteers outside the
metropolitan area, what protections has the government put in place to protect
these frontline officers?
(2) Does the
state government directly employ any workers subject to the announced
protections; and, if so, how many?
(3) What
engagement occurred with St John Ambulance and other employers of ambulance
workers prior to the announcement on Boxing Day last year?
Hon
MATTHEW SWINBOURN replied:
I think that the member said he
asked the question on behalf of —
Hon Colin de Grussa: Hon Martin
Aldridge.
Hon MATTHEW SWINBOURN: Yes,
but I believe that the question was actually asked by the member himself. In my
file it says that the question is asked by Hon Colin de Grussa. In any event,
whichever member asked the question, I thank them for some notice.
Hon Sue Ellery interjected.
Hon MATTHEW SWINBOURN: That
is right, yes. The following information has been provided to me by the
Minister for Industrial Relations.
(1) The PTSD
presumption does not apply to volunteers because volunteers are not covered
under the Workers' Compensation and Injury Management Act 1981.
(2) Please refer this part of the
question to the Minister for Health.
(3) The PTSD
presumption implemented a March 2021 election commitment. There was no
engagement with St John Ambulance prior to the announcement on Boxing Day last
year.