James Merlino says MFB and CFA ‘boy’s club’ needs to end

EMERGENCY services minister James Merlino wants more women to become firefighters to combat a ‘boy’s club’ culture in Victoria’s firefighting services.

FIREFIGHTING has been too much of a boys’ club, Emergency Services Minister James Merlino says.

His comment comes as the government goes on a recruitment drive to attract women to the MFB and CFA.

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The state government wants 450 more firefighters hired this year — and more women to apply for the job.

About 120 women are full-time paid firefighters in the MFB and CFA, but the government aims to increase that number to 400 by 2021.

Reviews have found the fire services to be plagued with cultures of sexism and harassment. The Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission review, whose report has been legally blocked by the United Firefighters Union, has also examined if the ban on part-time staff is harming the workforce’s diversity.

Victorian Emergency Services minister James Merlino wants more women to apply to become firefighters.

But Mr Merlino said the government, fire services leadership and the union were determined to attract more women to the role.

When asked by a reporter if the fire services were a boys’ club, he said you would have to say yes.

“That is historic and you would have to say yes, and that is what we want to change,’’ Mr Merlino said. “We are all on board with the need to change.”

Mr Merlino said the new MFB workplace agreement with the union formalised that the organisations would work together to increase diversity.

Opposition emergency services spokesman Brad Battin said the government had bullied out six senior women in the fire services during the protracted industrial disputes with the union.

“Daniel Andrews is not just a bully, he’s a hypocrite. After he bullied out so many experienced women from our fire services, he now realises he has a problem.”

The VEOHRC report has scrutinised the lack of equality and diversity in the CFA and MFB.

The Herald Sun has previously revealed that some of the people interviewed by the VEOHRC have reported porn hanging in fire stations, sex in offices, and recruitment panels against hiring women.

Female firefighters also claimed they were forced to strip naked and pose for photographs as part of a hazing ritual.

Mr Merlino had admitted the fire services needed to improve its culture in some areas but said both the MFB and CFA were ‘wonderful places’ to work.