Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (12:48:28) — My constituency question is for the Minister for Emergency Services. I had a constituent come and see me the other week, and he has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. He is a professional firefighter of 32 years. In speaking to me he showed me some research studies that show the prevalence of Parkinson’s disease amongst firefighters is 30 cases per 1000, whereas it is only three to four per 1000 in the general population. As a consequence of these findings the USA jurisdictions of Indiana and Massachusetts have introduced presumptive legislation for firefighters with Parkinson’s disease. Sadly due to what happened in this house on Good Friday, we do not currently have a firefighters presumptive rights scheme in Victoria. However, my constituent asks whether the minister will consider including Parkinson’s disease in any future iteration of Victorian presumptive rights legislation.
