Victorian firefighters urge voters to ditch Labor and vote for Greens
UFU boss Peter Marshall said the firefighters’ messaging could “seriously undermine” the Andrews government’s hopes for victory.
State Election
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Firefighters will write to households in nine marginal seats urging them to ditch the major parties and instead put their votes on the Greens or independent MPs.
The United Firefighters Union on Monday will also unveil how-to-vote cards in Melton, Point Cook, Northcote, Richmond, St Albans and Thomastown in a major boost to the chances of independent and Greens candidates.
A “considerable” number of professional firefighters will stand at polling booths in the Premier’s seat of Mulgrave to warn voters that Labor had “betrayed” professional firefighters.
The targeted action is a last-ditch effort by the powerful union to rid Labor of some of its power, and is the latest development in the bitter feud between union boss Peter Marshall and Daniel Andrews.
It follows recent polling that revealed a third of Victorian voters said a damaging campaign from firefighters was likely to influence the way they voted.
Labor’s bid to retain the marginal city seats of Northcote and Richmond has been dealt another blow, with the UFU rallying to the Greens.
The how-to-vote cards, seen by the Herald Sun, direct voters to put Greens candidates Campbell Gome and Gabrielle de Vietri first on the ballot.
And the UFU’s letter, to be sent to Northcote constituents, reads: “As career firefighters, we are used to putting our lives on the line to protect life and property. However, the Andrews government, and your local ALP MP Kat Theophanous has put us and other Victorians in danger.
“This state election we are asking you to consider voting for a party or candidate which supports the firefighters who protect you. In Northcote, we recommend you vote for the Australian Greens candidate, Campbell Gome.”
In the new seat of Point Cook, local GP and independent candidate Joe Garra will be preferenced over Labor candidate Matt Hilakari.
The union has endorsed another independent, Ian Birchall, in Melton, while firefighters will call on people in Thomastown to vote for Greens candidate Matt Sinapi over Labor’s Bronwyn Halfpenny.
The electorate of St Albans, held by Labor’s Natalie Suleyman, will also be a target, as will upper house seats including Northern Metro, which Reason Party leader Fiona Patten is fighting to retain.
Over the weekend firefighters campaigned in teal Reason Party T-shirts alongside Ms Patten, who has a tough battle, with dumped Labor minister Adem Somyurek running for the Democratic Labour Party.
UFU Victorian branch secretary Peter Marshall said the firefighters’ messaging could “seriously undermine” the Andrews government’s hopes for victory on Saturday.
“The Labor Party and Liberals have ignored firefighters and the community on issues like outdated fire trucks, the lack of proper training facilities and trench rescue equipment and the trashing of presumptive legislation designed to protect firefighters from cancer,” he said.
“We’ve been extremely disappointed with the response from both the Andrews government and the Liberal Party, who haven’t shown the slightest interest in delivering what professional firefighters need to protect community safety.
“That’s why we’ll be supporting a range of independent and minor party candidates who’ve stood up for firefighters and their communities.”
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