The Greens strongly support the push for women firefighters to be covered by presumptive cancer legislation, and congratulate the United Firefighters Union for securing Government support for this change. It’s now up to Minister Elise Archer to implement this reform as soon as possible.
Firefighting is now recognised by the World Health Organisation as one of the two most dangerous occupations for cancer risk in the world. Tasmania was the first state to introduce presumptive cancer legislation in 2012, which means our firefighters no longer have to prove a direct link between the cancers they develop and their work.
In Tasmania, men are covered for male-specific cancers they contract, but women are not covered for women-specific cancers. This is unjust, and perpetuates an historical misogynistic attitude that women are not welcome as firefighters – which is clearly not the stated intention of the TFS.
More women are joining career and volunteer firefighting roles, and the proportion of female to male firefighters continues to go up. At the same time, firefighting risk is growing, with more plastics in the built environment than ever before.
Women firefighters, like men, put themselves in the way of extreme danger every day to protect Tasmanians. They deserve to be supported and protected in exactly the same way as men.
We call on Minister to make putting in place this important reform a matter of priority. Every day delayed is a day without diagnostic screening, and prevention information being provided to women firefighters, as well as the lack of support for women who may contract a range of women-specific cancers.
