[Greens-Media] Halfway to Equal for CFS Firefighters a Hollow Victory

[Franks, Office]

In the dying minutes of the Parliamentary sitting session the Liberal Party back flipped on their previous commitment to support equality between CFS and MFS firefighters on cancer compensation.
Just two days after the SA Legislative Council Opposition and cross-benchers voted to pass the Greens' amendments to the Government Bill to provide cancer compensation to both paid and volunteer firefighters, the Liberals this afternoon joined with the Government to strip back the scheme for the CFS.

Greens' Emergency Services and Volunteers spokesperson Tammy Franks MLC said she was bitterly disappointed with the outcome stating: "This is an extremely important reform for the state's Metropolitan Fire Service (MFS) firefighters and Country Fire Service (CFS) volunteers. They should have been treated equally, but again the CFS volunteers have been relegated to second class status, this time by a combination of the Government and the Opposition.

"The Greens believe that the state's 13,500 CFS volunteers deserve the same protection as those in the MFS, the Parliament yesterday supported that. It is time for the Labor Weatherill Government to accept that.

"This morning in the House of Assembly the Liberal Party believed that too. Today on the steps of Parliament at lunchtime the Opposition Deputy Leader, Vickie Chapman stood firm stating that the Liberal Party would 'stick to their guns' on this issue and bring back Parliament next week if necessary.

"But late this afternoon in the Legislative Council there was a new Sheriff in the Liberal-town, when Rob Lucas indicated the Liberal Party had changed their mind and would accept the Government's second class system for the CFS.

"Put simply, carcinogens don't discriminate between paid and volunteer firefighters and nor should the Parliament. When the toxic smoke of a structural fire only chooses to harm the paid firefighters first at the scene of the same incident that is when we should have a compensation scheme that discriminates. The reality is the Government long ago sold out our volunteer firefighters and today the Liberal Party joined them," Ms Franks concluded.

For comment contact Tammy Franks on 0406 729 981

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