The Country Fire Service Volunteers Association Branch presidents unanimously passed a motion of no confidence in Minister for Emergency Services Tony Piccolo at a meeting on Wednesday.
The motion was moved on the basis the Minister “continues to progress a flawed sector reform process, lacking in clarity, transparency and with no definable outcomes”.
“Through this flawed process the Minister has demonstrated a lack of respect for volunteers and community safety and has the potential to impact on the safety of SA communities,” it stated.
“The CFSVA calls for an immediate halt to the sector reform process until such time as an open and transparent analysis of the current system is undertaken and efficiencies and future direction clearly identified.”
The CFSVA invited Mr Piccolo to its general meeting on Wednesday to discuss the emergency services sector reform, but members unanimously agreed that the Minister did not adequately respond to questions raised by volunteers.
The CFSVA’s motion of no confidence in Mr Piccolo is the second to be moved in the past week, with Public Service Association members in the emergency services sector also passing a no confidence motion.
The PSA said their motion was for “failing to appropriately progress the reform of the sector in an open and transparent way”.
Members specifically referred to the Minister’s unilateral decision to change the previously proposed model without further consultation.
They expressed concerns that the path undertaken by the Minister had the potential to negatively affect the safety of the people of SA and would not meet reform objectives.
PSA members have called for an immediate return to “meaningful consultation and negotiation”.
Karina Natt
Journalist at Stock Journal.
Journalist at Stock Journal.
