I also speak in support of the Workers Compensation Legislation Amendment (Firefighters) Bill 2025 and acknowledge the fabulous Leighton Drury, State secretary of the Fire Brigade Employees Union [FBEU]; Jonathan Wright, champion extraordinaire; and Claire Pullen, former industrial officer. I acknowledge the incredible work of every single firefighter in New South Wales and thank them for their commitment to keeping our community safe, for their day-to-day activities in fighting fires and responding to emergencies, and for the education programs they provide to raise awareness of fire safety while promoting increased resilience.

The bill amends the Workers Compensation Act 1987 to expand the list of presumptive firefighter cancers. The legislative presumption provides simple and quick access to workers compensation to eligible firefighters diagnosed with any of the prescribed cancers. The presumption was first introduced to the Parliament in 2018, and it means that when an eligible firefighter is diagnosed with a specified cancer, the cancer is presumed to be work related. The firefighter does not need to prove that it is work related, making it easier and faster to access workers compensation. The 2018 list consists of 12 cancers, including leukaemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma and bladder, oesophageal and prostate cancers. The amendments in the bill will add 10 new primary site cancers to the list. They are lung, skin, thyroid and pancreatic cancers, and six primary site female and male reproductive cancers including cervical, ovarian, uterine, vaginal, vulval and penile cancers.

The bill will better align New South Wales legislation with legislation in other Australian jurisdictions. The amendments in the bill add seven of the eight cancers on the Commonwealth list, and the list does not include malignant mesothelioma because that is covered under the dust diseases scheme in New South Wales. The addition of those cancers to the list of presumptive firefighter cancers will mean firefighters in New South Wales have similar access to the presumption that those cancers are work related as do firefighters in other Australian jurisdictions. That aligns with the Government's commitment to ensure easy and equitable access to workers compensation.

We have talked about Fire and Rescue NSW and the FBEU. I also acknowledge the Rural Fire Service Association, all of our RFS volunteers and the firefighters in our National Parks and Wildlife Service team, who I worked with closely during the Black Summer bushfires. In October 2018 I stood in this place and spoke in debate on the Workers Compensation (Firefighters' Presumptive Rights to Compensation) Bill 2018. I said at that time:

… I acknowledge that once again Labor and its shadow ministerial team are leading the way from Opposition …

I also said:

As the member for Blue Mountains, I know how important it is that the community at large protects firefighters at a time in their lives when they need it. Many of my local firefighters have approached me very humbled and supportive of Labor's move to introduce this bill.

I gave a shout-out at the time to:

… every Fire and Rescue station in the mountains and the retained and permanent firefighters who work there, and all of our RFS volunteers who keep our community safe …, who lead us into preparedness and resilience month in and month out. Fire and firefighters are synonymous with the Blue Mountains. My community relies on the dedication and bravery of Fire and Rescue firefighters and Rural Fire Service volunteers because of the unique risks of living in a bushland setting.

But we need to acknowledge that at times these workers will need our support and assistance in return, and Labor offers that to the firefighting community today. I thank all firefighters across this State for dealing with hazardous material in dangerous and unpredictable situations on a daily basis. That is why we are here today …

All these years later, here we are again. It has taken too long.

I turn now to a key stakeholder with whom I have worked for many years, the mighty Fire Brigade Employees Union. As my colleague the Hon. Mark Buttigieg mentioned in the other place, the original list of 12 cancers which was adopted all over the country was written by the FBEU. The author was none other than the FBEU industrial officer at the time, Claire Pullen. I acknowledge that she is responsible for some other landmark legislation in this place as well. I mention the abortion law reform as one.

I acknowledge Jono Wright and some of the other good people I have worked with over the years: Mick Johnson, Tim Anderson and Bobby Callow. I have worked closely with them for a while. My dear buddy Leighton Drury is one of the very best State union secretaries ever. I say that professionally, politically and very personally. I love that he is stoic, determined, raw, real and persistent. I loved working with him in my capacity as the shadow Minister for Emergency Services in those early days prior to the Black Summer bushfires, when we did not know what we were in for. At the end of 2019, after getting a message from my son, saying, "I don't think we're going to make it, Ma. I love you", the first person I called was Leighton Drury. He is somebody you trust and lean into. This bill and this achievement are a testament to his leadership. In acknowledging all of the FBEU, all of the elected officials and every firefighter who is a member of the union, it is important to put that on the record today. I thank them.

I give a shout-out to a firefighter who came to visit me recently, Colin Wightman, from the Blue Mountains. Colin articulately put to me and to the Minister the fact that there is such a human cost when firefighters serve for years. He gave me a bit of a rundown on how he feels about his former station officer, Ian Sargent, who served for 38 years with honour. He is deeply admired in our community and is now facing mesothelioma, with less than 12 months to live. Many of his colleagues have developed cancer after decades of dedicated service, and each diagnosis, he says, represents the failure of prevention systems. Col also made mention of Chief Superintendent Graham Kingsland, who I understand has also just been diagnosed with cancer. I give a shout‑out to those guys today and thank them.

The bill reflects the Government's commitment to provide easy and equitable access to workers compensation in New South Wales. One of the people who talked me through their view of the necessity for this legislation was my very good friend retired Superintendent Bruce Cameron, who, after 42 years of service, has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. He said it changes his life. It changes firefighters' lives to get that diagnosis, in every possible way. I give a shout‑out to Bruce and say we will stand with him through this tough time. I thank Minister Dib and Minister Cotsis, their respective staff and departments, for making this happen. Finally, to all of our firefighters across New South Wales, I say: Today and every day, as in previous days, I stand with you. I commend the bill to the House.