James Merlino fails to release secret firefighters letter

LATEST: PRIME Minister Malcolm Turnbull says the Andrews Government’s decision to link a Bill to make the CFA volunteer-only to legislation on cancer support for firefighters should be condemned.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says the Andrews Government’s decision to link a Bill to make the CFA volunteer-only to legislation on cancer support for firefighters should be condemned. AAP Image/Mal Fairclough

PRIME Minister Malcolm Turnbull says the Andrews Government’s decision to link a Bill to make the CFA volunteer-only to legislation on cancer support for firefighters should be condemned.

New laws to give firefighters presumptive rights of cancer compensation will be tied to controversial changes to dismantle the CFA.

The extraordinary decision will mean that MPs who do not support the establishment of Fire Rescue Victoria would have to vote down presumptive rights for firefighters.

Mr Turnbull said: “That’s been condemned by the state opposition and I think, rightly so.”

“It is questionable, the legislation only came out yesterday, even if the state government is able to get through the Parliament that it would have the effect it was trying to achieve,” he told 3AW.

“But clearly for reasons I cannot possibly fathom, Daniel Andrews wants to undermine the CFA 60,000 volunteers, the pride of Victoria, the men and women that put themselves at the face of an inferno to protect Victorians and their property at the behest of this militant union.”

The Prime Minister’s comments come after the Herald Sun today revealed Emergency Services Minister James Merlino has failed to sign off on a Freedom of Information release of a letter that shows industrial action by firefighters had been costing the Metropolitan Fire Brigade $1 million a month.

A response to a Herald Sun FoI application for the letter is two weeks overdue.

This is despite documents having been identified and sent to Mr Merlino’s office about a week before the May 13 due date.

It is understood the March 7 letter to Emergency Management Victoria chief executive Neil Robertson shows work bans by United Firefighters Union members had cost about $9.3 million in 2015-16.

And today, it was revealed that a website used to spruik Premier Daniel Andrews’ planned radical restructure of firefighting services was registered by the UFU on April 11 — weeks before Cabinet signed off on it.

UFU secretary Peter Marshall said “the campaign was planned to launch when the Fire Preparedness Report was handed down, which was scheduled for April 2017”.

The state Opposition also came under fire for rolling out a robocall campaign that said a fire services restructure could put communities that rely on volunteers at risk.

CFA chief executive Frances Diver said there had been complaints about the “irresponsible” claims.

But Opposition Leader Matthew Guy said he made “no apology” for campaigning on the issue.

The phone calls and at least one union advertisement failed to alert the public as to who had authorised the messages.

The letter on MFB cost blowouts, which is still in Mr Merlino’s office awaiting release, shows the costs due to work bans on recording false alarms and late notification.

The bans were in force as negotiations for a new enterprise agreement dragged on.

The firefighters were participating in the bans as negotiations for a new enterprise agreement dragged on, but the UFU withdrew protected industrial action earlier this month.

After the Herald Sun contacted Mr Merlino’s office about whether he was in possession of the FoI application, a spokesman said: “The minister’s office was made aware of this request, and expected it would be provided within the statutory timelines”.

Opposition spokesman Tim Smith said the government was “hiding the truth”.

When asked if ministers should involve themselves with applications that don’t relate to their offices, Mr Andrews said the FoI system was “based on independent judgments made by public servants. That’s the way it should be.”

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