This year has seen a significant shortage of paramedics, with fire crews deployed to meet demand, Canberra Liberals MLA James Milligan claims. Today, Mr Milligan, Shadow Minister for Emergency Services, will call on the Minister, Mick Gentleman, to provide a report detailing to the Assembly all the actions he is taking to address serious issues raised by ACT paramedics.

“I am concerned that in a city such as Canberra, members of the community are being left without a proper ambulance service due to staffing shortages,” Mr Milligan said.

“Paramedics in the ACT are doing a tremendous job with the resources they have, but it appears this Labor-Greens government has dropped the ball, and our hardworking paramedics are the ones who are feeling the brunt of that.

“Some of the issues for paramedics include long night shifts and even back-to-back night shifts of 14 hours per night – and that is simply not sustainable.”

Late last month, paramedics unanimously passed a motion of want of confidence in the leadership of the Emergency Services Agency, Mr Milligan said.

“What we are asking the Minister and Labor-Greens government is very simple: show Canberra, but particularly the paramedics, that they care and support them.

“Recent Annual Reports show that demand for ambulance services has risen 11 per cent over the last year alone, but the workforce is not growing or being maintained as it should.

“There are significant problems in the system. I hope that by bringing this motion today, the Minister will take the challenge and acknowledged the needs of the community.”