Daniel Andrews breaks silence on bombshell emergency services report with apology

Three days after a bombshell report on Victoria’s emergency services the Premier has finally responded. Read what he said.

Premier Daniel Andrews has spoken publicly for the first time since the Inspector General’s review into the state’s Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority (ESTA) was handed down on Saturday.

The independent report linked triple-0 and ambulance delays to 33 Victorian deaths over the past few months.

The Premier offered his “deepest condolences” to those who have lost loved ones and said the government had heavily invested in ESTA.

“It was a period of surge unlike any other that we have ever experienced, much more prolonged, much more intense than, say a bushfire event, much more prolonged and intense than say, thunderstorm asthma, or any similar event,” Mr Andrews said.

“I would point out that coming into this pandemic event ESTA had met so many of its important benchmarks and, in fact, exceeded them, so I want to thank the staff at call takers dispatches the whole team.”

The Premier denied the government was trying to bury the report by releasing it over the weekend, adding he didn’t have to front up to the media every Sunday.

Daniel Andrews has broken his silence on a bombshell report into ESTA delays. Picture: David Crosling

“In terms of what I was doing, I was at home on Saturday. So if you think I was off doing something exotic, I wasn’t. I was at home on Saturday, and I was at home on Sunday. On Sunday I was dealing with a rather sick child,” Mr Andrews said.

“I don’t appear every single Sunday … I’ve done more media conferences with you guys than many (others).”

“The government is not one person. The government is a team of ministers.”

Deputy Premier Jacinta Allan addressed the media on Sunday and Monday, and Emergency Services Minister Jaclyn Symes spoke about the report when it was released on Saturday.

When asked if the government was trying to detract from the significance of the report by releasing it in the midst of AFL finals, the Premier argued there were more Victorians tuned into the news on Saturday night.

“We’re in Melbourne. Every day in September is about football,” Mr Andrews said

“Cabinet dealt with (the report) … on Friday afternoon. If it has been released on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday of this week then you’d be putting it to me that it had been sat on for a period of time.

“Wasn’t Saturday the biggest rating nights Seven (News) has had for a while?

“It was a bigger audience on Saturday, not a smaller one.”

Union calls for Symes’ resignation

It comes the day after Victoria’s firefighters union called on Emergency Services Minister Ms Symes to resign over the damning report.

In an open letter to the parliament on Monday, the United Firefighters Union attacked the Labor MP over the independent report.

The union, headed by firebrand Peter Marshall, said the report was damning and accused Ms Symes of failing to act to prevent issues with the system.

The UFU has also attacked Labor over changes to the state’s presumptive cancer legislation for firefighters, flagging they could campaign against the party in marginal seats.

“There is no excuse for allowing the triple-0 emergency call system to fall into dysfunction when the Emergency Services Minister Jaclyn Symes had been warned of the dire state of the system well in advance,” the letter said.

“Given Minister Symes’ history of ignoring calls for improvements towards, and funding for, the fire service, her apology on the weekend was insincere.

The UFU, under Peter Marshall, has attacked Labor over changes to the state’s presumptive cancer legislation for firefighters. Picture: Aaron Francis

“The UFU is calling on Jaclyn Symes to resign.”

The union’s letter accused Ms Symes of a “pattern” of behaviour ignoring warnings and pointed to issues they believe the state has failed to address.

This included what they say is a shortage of trench rescue equipment in parts of regional Victoria and a failure to replace or upgrade ageing fire trucks.

Limited capacity at training grounds, legal disputes and the ongoing fight over presumptive cancer legislation were also raised as issues.

Mr Marshall told the Herald Sun the decision to release the ESTA report on Saturday was a “cheap political stunt”.

“Apologies are not good enough, we want the matter rectified before the event, not after the event,” he said.

“An insincere politically timed apology is one of the most disrespectful acts of a parliamentarian I’ve seen in some time.”

ESTA chief executive Stephen Leane and Emergency Services Minister Jaclyn Symes. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Since then, the state government has overseen a new pay deal and delivered a massive shake-up of the fire services, which were both heavily backed by the UFU.

But the relationship deteriorated this year as the union pushed back against new laws that would widen presumptive cancer rights to mechanics attending fire scenes.

Mr Marshall was booted out of the premier’s Socialist Left faction amid internal disquiet over his attacks on the government.

When asked about the UFU’s letter, Deputy Premier Jacinta Allan defended Ms Symes.

“She’s not someone who will cut and run from a challenge and this is no doubt a challenging policy area, a challenging area to work through particularly in the midst of a global pandemic that is putting health pressure on our health systems around the country,” she said.

“Now is not the time to walk away from that challenge and knowing Jaclyn Symes the way I do, I know she is working incredibly hard on behalf of all Victorians.

“She’s secured significant additional resources for the agency.

“She’s working on a strong reform program with the agencies and other parts of government and that’s exactly what you’d expect a minister responsible to do, in these circumstances.”

Originally published as Daniel Andrews breaks silence on bombshell emergency services report with apology