Premier Daniel Andrews warned UFU boss behaviour unacceptable
LABOR MP Jane Garrett is launching a formal complaint about the “distressing conduct” of United Firefighters Union boss Peter Marshall she experienced while Emergency Services Minister.
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LABOR MP Jane Garrett is launching a formal complaint about the “distressing conduct” of United Firefighters Union boss Peter Marshall she experienced while Emergency Services Minister.
In an explosive statement, Ms Garrett said she was not surprised by a memo prepared for Daniel Andrews by one of his advisers, which warned the Premier about Mr Marshall’s behaviour.
The former minister also revealed that she had been subpoenaed to give evidence in a Supreme Court trial next month about the controversial CFA workplace agreement.
Ms Garrett said John-Paul Blandthorn, who wrote the memo to the Premier revealed by the Herald Sun today, had “always looked out for me”.
“(This included) 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,” she said.
Ms Garrett said Mr Marshall’s “distressing conduct” came after she refused to intervene in a disciplinary process involving an MFB commander who was accused of distributing pornography.
“Given the Premier’s recent comments that people should avail themselves of ‘avenues of complaint’ if they feel they have suffered mistreatment (after questions relating to allegations that Mr Marshall threatened to put an axe in my head), I have been finalising a formal complaint about the treatment that I and my staff received during my tenure as the Minister for Emergency Services” she said.
It was alleged Mr Marshall said 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.
A spokeswoman for Mr Andrews said: “The Premier has consistently said that anyone who behaves inappropriately deserves condemnation. Any complaint made by Ms Garrett should be properly dealt with.”
Ms Garrett said this complaint would progress through “appropriate independent channels” and she would also participate in a Victorian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Review into the state’s fire services.
It comes as a defiant Mr Andrews stood by his statement in parliament that he had never received complaints about Mr Marshall’s behaviour, despite the leaked memo showing his industrial adviser raising concerns.
The Herald Sun revealed today that an August 4 memo to the Premier from Mr Blandthorn said Mr Marshall had “crossed the line” from what would be “considered acceptable behaviour” and asked Mr Andrews to plead with the UFU boss to be more respectful.
But Mr Andrews denied this was a “complaint”, and said the reference to unacceptable behaviour was about Mr Marshall leaking information, rather than how he treated staff or ministers.
In another section of the memo, Mr Blandthorn urged Mr Andrews to talk to the union firebrand.
“You may consider asking Marshall to be more respectful to all Ministers, Members, staff and Departments and to treat them with the respect that he would demand himself,” the memo says.
When asked if he was advised about Mr Marshall’s personal treatment of ministers Mr Andrews said “no I was not.”
“People can selectively quote from the memo all they like. No complaint was made but it is my expectation that everyone acts respectfully,” he said.
Opposition Leader Matthew Guy said Mr Andrews had been caught lying to the parliament about the advice he had received on Mr Marshall’s tactics.
Dubbing the Premier “lying Dan”, Mr Guy said the Herald Sun’s revelations showed Mr Andrews had received clear warnings about the UFU boss’s behaviour and had “turned a blind eye”.
“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 ... Lying Dan, no one believes a word he says.”
Senior government minister Jacinta Allan said she was not aware of the document.
“I’m not aware of the circumstances in which it was written, or indeed that it’s a document which has legitimacy,” she said.
Asked if she believed the Premier had lied to Parliament, Ms Allan said: “No.”
The bombshell leak comes two weeks after the Premier told state parliament that he could not recall receiving any complaints about Mr Marshall’s behaviour towards staff.
The confidential briefing to the Premier, about the controversial Metropolitan Fire Brigade and Country Fire Authority enterprise agreement negotiations, also cautioned that the UFU was looking for the government to “intervene and deliver a political outcome”.
In the “Premier’s Private Office Memorandum”, Mr Blandthorn warned the UFU was seeking “an unrealistic outcome in both pay and entitlements”. The memo says: “The UFU are insistent on keeping outdated practices which are detrimental to the operation; but it may be too hard to move on this.”
The memo’s leaking from within his own party is another blow to the Premier, who divided his Cabinet, sidelined then emergency services minister Jane Garrett, ostracised the 60,000-member CFA and derailed federal leader Bill Shorten’s election campaign when he sided with Mr Marshall in negotiations.
Mr Andrews is under intense pressure after the departure of the CFA board, chief Lucinda Nolan, chief officer Joe Buffone and Ms Garrett, with murmurs of a possible leadership challenge.
On Monday, he found himself denying internal allegations that he insulted former Liberal MP and cancer battler Donna Bauer.
The bombshell memo was written a few months after Mr Marshall released a sensational 17-page dossier to Labor MPs about internal negotiations over the case of a commander accused of accessing pornography and racist material.
He demanded the case be heard under EBA laws instead of MFB rules, and said there was a “deal” with Labor that this happen.
That material exposed the workings of the Premier’s staff, as well as of staff in the offices of Ms Garrett and Industrial Relations Minister Natalie Hutchins.
Mr Andrews recently urged people involved in the dispute to act with respect, after allegations that Mr Marshall blew up at government staff late last year.
Last year’s memo noted Mr Marshall had already “crossed the line” from what would be “considered acceptable behaviour”.
Earlier this month, Mr Andrews was asked in parliament by Opposition Leader Matthew Guy how many times his “own staff, public servants or ministers” complained about Mr Marshall’s conduct.
He replied: “I am not aware of complaints made to me. I cannot recall, that is to say, any complaints made to me.”
Asked about the memo on Monday night, a spokesman said: “The Premier stands by the answer he gave to the parliament.”
Mr Marshall did not respond to calls from the Herald Sun on Monday.
THE AUGUST 2015 MEMO, FROM HIS OWN ADVISERS, WARNING THE PREMIER ABOUT UFU BOSS PETER MARSHALL
— Extracts from the bombshell email —
Enterprise agreement negotiations ...
12. The UFU has consistently looked for the Government to intervene and deliver a political outcome.
13. The UFU are insistent on keeping outdated practices which are detrimental to the operation; but it may be too hard to move on this.
14. The UFU are seeking an unrealistic outcome in both pay and entitlements ...
Recommendation ...
II. MARSHALL be encouraged to adopt a four-year agreement so as it takes it outside the election cycle; however he is unlikely to agree ...
Other matters ...
16. MARSHALL will talk about his ongoing relationship with the Labor Government, he is looking for reassurance that there is still respect.
Recommendation ...
■ MARSHALL be told that it is our intention that there is ongoing relationship of mutual trust. The Government is sometimes in a difficult position being the employer where we will have to say “no” but this should not define us.
■ You may consider asking MARSHALL to be more respectful to all Ministers, Members, staff and Departments and to treat them with the respect that he would demand himself ...
Political considerations ...
18. MARSHALL has crossed the line in recent months as to what would be considered acceptable behaviour.
THE PREMIER IN PARLIAMENT THIS MONTH
— In the Legislative Assembly on August 17, 2016 —
Opposition Leader Matthew Guy: “My question is again to the Premier. On how many occasions have your own staff, public servants or ministers complained to you, your department or private office formally or informally about Peter Marshall’s conduct towards them? “
Andrews: “The breadth of the question, if I heard it correctly, is: how many times have people complained to me? I am not aware of complaints made to me. I cannot recall, that is to say, any complaints made to me.”
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