Tony Piccolo tours the Sampson Flat fireground in a photo posted on social media on January 5. Source: Facebook
Source: Facebook
EMBATTLED Minister Tony Piccolo has lost the confidence of a key union over his controversial emergency services reforms, which it believes pose a risk to public safety.
Public Service Association members working for the Metropolitan Fire Service, Country Fire Service, State Emergency Service and administrative areas passed a “motion of no confidence” in the minister earlier this week.
“PSA members in the emergency services sector move a motion of no confidence in the Minister for Emergency Services for failing to appropriately progress the reform of the sector in an open and transparent way,” the motion stated.
“Specifically, members refer to the unilateral decision by the minister to change the previously proposed model without further consultation.
“Members express strong concerns that the current path undertaken by the minister has the potential to impact the safety of the people of South Australia and will not meet the objectives of the reform.”
The union also raised concerns over the apparent lack of a cost-benefit analysis and emphasised that necessary changes to the law must be passed before the reforms were put in place.
Emergency Services Minister Tony Piccolo. Picture: Roger Wyman
PSA spokesman Peter Christopher said it was clear from the motion passed by members that they believe Mr Piccolo had a preconceived outcome in mind.
The no confidence motion is the latest in a raft of criticism of Mr Piccolo over his plans to merge the administration of the sector into one department, overseen by a new commissioner.
Hundreds of volunteer firefighters have protested against the reforms, association heads have spoken out and senior officials have raised concerns about the operational impact of the changes.
Mr Piccolo said he was pleased that the motion also reveals that the PSA supports, in principle, an efficient and effective sector, which was a key aim of this reform.
“I have revised the timing of the rollout of the sector model due to the feedback received as a result of the consultation so far,” he said.
“The original aims remain the same. The PSA have been a part of this process from the beginning. The consultation is ongoing through the reference group and working groups.”
Opposition emergency services spokesman Duncan McFetridge said this was more evidence that people in the sector had no faith in Mr Piccolo and that he was “out of his depth”.
Family First MLC Robert Brokenshire said this was another indicator that emergency service agencies were being pushed into reform that appears “ill-conceived”.
“You have to ask what is the Government’s real agenda if volunteers are unhappy, peak associations representing them are being ignored and now the union is raising alarm bells,” he said.
At a recent parliamentary inquiry, CFS Volunteers Association executive director Sonia St Alban revealed members were “quite angry” that Mr Piccolo was pursing legal action against The Advertiser for articles about volunteers saying they were called off the Sampson Flat fire front for a ministerial tour.
St Alban said volunteers were “of the view that the volunteers are the ones who should in fact be receiving an apology”.
Public Service Association members have ‘no confidence’ in Emergency Services Minister Tony Piccolo
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