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Speaker 1: Now, as we started the program discussing fire, an emergency

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Speaker 1: is investigating an incident where a firefighter made a rude

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Speaker 1: gesture after speaking to the Prime Minister. So the TikTok video,

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Speaker 1: which has since been taken down, shows the Prime Minister

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Speaker 1: chatting to the firefighter and then when he walks away

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Speaker 1: towards the chopper, the firefighter turns away, faces the camera

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Speaker 1: and makes a rude motion that we would describe as

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Speaker 1: feeding the chicks. Max Whitehead is an employment law expert

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Speaker 1: at the Whitehead Group and is with us now home, Max,

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Speaker 1: are they Heather mate? I cannot help but feel that

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Speaker 1: fens investigating this is a complete overreaction. Am I wrong?

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Speaker 2: Well to an agree, possibly you are. Now we can disagree, though, Heather,

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Speaker 2: you and I known each other for a while, but

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Speaker 2: bringing an organization into disrepute is unacceptable. In fact, you

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Speaker 2: just had your last guest I think, mentioned the same word.

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Speaker 2: But when a firefighter wears the uniform is representing the

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Speaker 2: fire organization, then they've got to conduct themselves accordingly, and

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Speaker 2: by doing a gesture such as they did, with such

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Speaker 2: as she did, it's going to bring the organization to

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Speaker 2: a bit of disrepute. I did note the Prime Minister

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Speaker 2: thought it was quite humorous at the time, well, you know,

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Speaker 2: after it was brought to his attention. But I would

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Speaker 2: think that the fire people, the authorities will be quite

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Speaker 2: concerned about it.

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Speaker 1: Do they need to take into account that she's a volunteer,

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Speaker 1: by which I mean surely there are lower standards for

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Speaker 1: a volunteer than a professional.

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Speaker 2: Well, the sad thing here, if she was fired, for example,

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Speaker 2: said right, you've dismissed. We don't want you back here anymore,

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Speaker 2: she can't suit them because she is not an employee.

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Speaker 2: It's I know, because that seems really unfair being a volunteers,

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Speaker 2: someone out there trying to help our community. And yet

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Speaker 2: she doesn't have the rights to a personal grievance. But

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Speaker 2: she does have a right to go to the disputes tribunal. However,

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Speaker 2: I don't even think their remedies would probably cover for

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Speaker 2: what she's probably requiring. In this particular argument, she have.

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Speaker 1: An argument that yeah, I mean, look what she shouldn't

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Speaker 1: have done it, you know, But everybody is a little

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Speaker 1: bit silly about politicians from time to time. I mean,

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Speaker 1: I know, I say stuff about politicians that I wouldn't

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Speaker 1: want people to hear out loud, there isn't the actual problem.

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Speaker 1: Whoever it is that actually stuck it up on TikTok,

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Speaker 1: it's really their fault.

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Speaker 2: Well, I know she took the action, so you're really

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Speaker 2: going to go back to the source end and it

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Speaker 2: is not appropriate. But do you know whither You and

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Speaker 2: I would probably smile about this because it wasn't offending

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Speaker 2: to such a degree. And also you're very very correct.

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Speaker 2: Most people do have some awful things to say about

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Speaker 2: politicians behind their back, but to their face and to

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Speaker 2: the Prime Minister, one of the most highest ranking people

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Speaker 2: of our community. Well, I don't know. She's bordering on

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Speaker 2: possibly being reprimanded at the minimum.

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Speaker 1: You're all right, Max, you're a hard man. I appreciate it.

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Speaker 1: Max Whitehead, employment law expert at the white Head Group.

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Speaker 2: For more from Heather Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to

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Speaker 2: News Talks ed B from four pm weekdays, or follow

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Speaker 2: the podcast on iHeartRadio.