CFA turmoil: Jane Garrett lodging formal complaint alleging bullying by UFU secretary Peter Marshall

UPDATE: LABOR MP Jane Garrett has not ruled out alerting police or WorkSafe about the “highly distressing” conduct of United Firefighters Union boss Peter Marshall.

• James Campbell: Jane Garrett’s revelations stunning

LABOR MP Jane Garrett has not ruled out alerting police or WorkSafe about the “highly distressing” conduct of United Firefighters Union boss Peter Marshall.

The former emergency services minister said she was finalising a draft of her complaint against Mr Marshall about his behaviour during ugly CFA pay dispute negotiations.

Asked if she would contact police or WorkSafe, Ms Garrett said she was “looking into the most appropriate place” to file her complaint.

She described Mr Marshall’s alleged threat to put an axe in her head as “highly distressing”.

“I wouldn’t want to suggest that he genuinely was going to do that but it’s just distressing,” Ms Garrett said.

She said she was not seeking financial compensation and was instead “looking at perhaps we could do things a better way”.

The Brunswick MP vowed to stay in Parliament and said: “I love my job, it’s been a bit rocky lately, but I love my job. I love representing my community and I’ve got no plans to go anywhere.”

Ms Garrett said she had not spoken to Daniel Andrews since announcing she would make a complaint about Mr Marshall’s behaviour.

She said there was “room for improvement” in her relationship with the Premier.

Mr Andrews did not know one of his senior advisers intervened to stop Mr Marshall contacting Ms Garrett.

Ms Garrett last night announced she would lodge a formal complaint alleging she was bullied by Mr Marshall, including that she experienced “distressing conduct” while on a family holiday.

Jane Garrett coming out of Labor caucus. Picture: Nicole Garmston

In an extraordinary statement, she said one of the Premier’s staffers brokered a deal to stop Mr Marshall contacting her during ugly CFA pay dispute negotiations in 2015.

Mr Andrews insisted this morning that he first learnt of that arrangement when Ms Garrett’s statement was released yesterday.

Asked if he knew complaints had been made about Mr Marshall’s behaviour, the Premier said: “I’ve dealt with this matter in the Parliament ... and my answers stand. My answers were accurate.”

“I think we all just need to be very careful here,” Mr Andrews said.

“If a complaint is made, then that complainant — Jane Garrett in this case — is entitled to a fair and proper process and me trampling all over it is probably not a really good way to deliver a good process and therefore a good outcome.”

Last night Mr Marshall dismissed the allegations as being “without any basis”.

Mr Andrews said he was not aware if Ms Garrett had yet made an official complaint but said a multitude of avenues were available to her.

Asked if Ms Garrett’s political career was over, Mr Andrews said: “All of us have a lot of hard work to do and I’m sure that Jane’s committed to doing that work, just as I am ... It’s up to the voters to determine things beyond 2018.”

United Firefighter’s Union boss Peter Marshall arrives at Parliament House to give evidence at the bushfire preparedness hearing. Picture: Nicole Garmston

Premier Daniel Andrews coming out of Labor caucus. Picture: Nicole Garmston

Ms Garrett’s statement raised fresh doubt over Mr Andrews’s repeated assurances — including in state parliament this month — that he has never ­received complaints from staff about the union boss’s behaviour.

The Herald Sun on Tuesday revealed the staffer who came to her aid — ­industrial relations adviser John-Paul Blandthorn — last year advised Mr Andrews in a key memo to consider asking Mr Marshall to be more respectful to staff and ministers.

The memo leak sparked new turmoil at a fiery Labor caucus meeting yesterday.

In factional meetings, MPs pledged allegiance to the Premier amid concerns some want a leadership change.

Ms Garrett’s allegations relate to her time as emergency services minister, a post she quit after the Premier sidelined her to ram through union demands in a new CFA EBA.

The Brunswick MP has been subpoenaed to give evidence in a Supreme Court trial next month that is looking at the controversial workplace agreement, which has already claimed the scalps of former CFA chief executive Lucinda Nolan, chief fire officer Joe Buffone, and the CFA board.

In a statement yesterday, Ms Garrett said Mr Andrews’s adviser Mr Blandthorn had “always looked out for me” (including by) “brokering an arrangement that Mr Marshall would not make contact with me during the September 2015 school holidays in light of Mr Marshall’s distressing conduct towards me during the Easter break of that year”.

Tuesday’s Herald Sun front page.

It is understood the “distressing conduct” included text messages that Wendouree MP Sharon Knight told the Herald Sun earlier this month had “crossed the line”.

Mr Marshall is also alleged to have told staff involved in EBA negotiations words to the effect of: “Tell the Premier there’s 3000 firefighters with axes coming to bury them in his head, and same goes for (Jane) Garrett.’’

Mr Marshall vehemently denies the allegations.

During the fiery caucus meeting, Treasurer Tim Pallas urged his colleagues to stay united, saying he had been around long enough to know that disunity was death.

But during the same meeting, Bentleigh MP Nick Staikos turned on Ms Garrett and accused her of leaking.

The government claimed a text message sent yesterday by one of her staff to an adviser who shares Herald Sun journalist James Campbell’s surname was evidence of wrongdoing.

Ms Garrett said in her statement that the staff member did not make contact with Mr Campbell, and noted a tweet from the journalist saying he had the memo in question “some weeks ago”.

Last night, the UFU boss rejected Ms Garrett’s allegations.

“This is not about me. This is about the Premier and it is about Jane Garrett’s leadership ambitions. It appears Jane Garrett has been destabilising her own party by continually leaking to the media,” he said.

“The allegations Jane Garrett continues with are absolutely without any basis, although her motivation for making these false allegations is clear,” Mr Marshall said.

In parliament, Opposition Leader Matthew Guy dubbed the Premier “lying Dan”, and accused him of having “turned a blind eye” to inappropriate behaviour.

“Daniel Andrews ignored all that advice simply because it was Peter Marshall,” he said.

“He’s a thoroughly spiteful person leading a very nasty government.”

JANE GARRETT’S STATEMENT:

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