United Firefighters Union to campaign against Labor in key seats

Firefighters will target the “very arrogant” Labor government in its most vulnerable seats, claiming they can generate a swing up to five per cent.

Firefighters campaigned for Daniel Andrews in 2014. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Firefighters will campaign against Labor in some of the party’s most vulnerable seats on election day, throwing their support behind minor parties and independents.

United Firefighters Union boss Peter Marshall on Tuesday revealed his pre-election scorecard which rated political parties on their promises to deliver the union’s demands.

Mr Marshall is running campaigns in a swag of marginal seats and has claimed firefighters delivered major swings when he campaigned on the party’s side heavily in 2014.

A major dispute with the Andrews Government over presumptive cancer legislation and ageing fire trucks prompted him to back anyone who “supports firefighters”.

The UFU has consulted with other parties about their election demands and will hand out how to vote cards in key seats.

The UFU will hand out how to vote cards for independents and Greens. Picture: AAP

On Tuesday, Mr Marshall revealed both the Labor and Liberals had not agreed to their requests and firefighters would tell voters this on polling day.

But independent candidates in Melbourne’s western suburbs and the Victorian Greens have backed their proposals and the union will publicly advertise this.

The arrangement means firefighters will be advocating against Labor in Melton, Point Cook and Werribee which are all in play from independents.

Richmond, which the Greens are targeting heavily, will receive similar treatment.

Mr Marshall said seats where firefighters campaigned in 2014 had a three per cent to five per cent swing.

“You might wanna ask the Labor Party that, they know that,” he said.

“We have been forced into this position, we have done everything, everything possible to resolve these issues regarding resources.

“It fell upon deaf ears. We have a very arrogant government here.

“We will be handing out the vote cards but how the vote cards reflect the survey that’s been put out there.”

Upper house MPs have also backed the UFU’s proposals and will be mentioned on advertisements.

Transport Matters MP Rod Barton, Reason Party MP Fiona Patten and Animal Justice Party MP Andy Meddick are among those who will appear positively on the union’s scorecard.