CFA crisis: Opposition Leader Bill Shorten rejects criticism for avoiding CFA crisis

BILL Shorten has rejected suggestions he is avoiding Victoria because of the CFA crisis, saying he “lives there’’. HAVE YOUR SAY

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BILL Shorten has rejected suggestions he is avoiding Victoria because of the CFA crisis, saying he “lives there’’.

The Opposition Leader flew to Melbourne last night for just a few hours, attending a vigil in Federal Square for the Orlando massacre victims.

He has previously made a lighting visit to suburban Box Hill but hasn’t visited any of the marginal Victorian seats in almost two weeks, since the CFA dispute erupted

HAVE YOUR SAY: Do you think the Opposition Leader should be avoiding the CFA crisis? Tell us below

Asked in Adelaide why he hadn’t been in Victoria much in recent times, Mr Shorten said: “I’ve actually been there for the last 49 years, but anyway.’’

He said he would be “getting around our electorates’’ and was happy to meet both volunteer and career firefighters.

Hillcrest CFA volunteers are joining colleagues around the state supporting the 'Hands off the CFA' campaign. Picture: Steve Tanner

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“I’ve got no doubt that the parties involved in this negotiation are capable of resolving this negotiation because one thing I know about our volunteer brigades, our career firefighters and the State Government is they’re all committed to the better safety of Victoria,’’ he said.

Mr Shorten is continuing to label the brawl between the Country Fire Authority and the United Firefighters Union a state issue, despite meeting UFU chief Peter Marshall and discussing it with Premier Daniel Andrews.

Mr Andrews and Mr Shorten met briefly at Federation Square last night but, apart from a quick handshake and pleasantries, did not talk or stand together.

The issue is dogging federal Labor, with shadow defence minister Stephen Conroy questioned about it.

Paid firefighters were seen at polling booths in the marginal Liberal seats of Dunkley and La Trobe yesterday handing out flyers on behalf of the UFU, criticising Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who has vowed to change the law to prevent union takeovers of volunteer organisations.

Former Liberal PM Tony Abbott, a volunteer firefighter in NSW, said the union takeover would be “a disaster for country communities’’.

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