Victorian Government in secret talks with United Firefighters Union on fire services bill months before CFA, MFB consulted

THE Andrews Government held meetings with the United Firefighters Union about the controversial fire services bill months before the CFA and MFB were told, it was revealed today.

A fire truck in Lancefield. Picture: Zoe Phillips

THE Andrews government was in secret talks with the United Firefighters Union about the controversial fire services bill, months before the Country Fire Authority and Metropolitan Fire brigade were told.

Department of Premier and Cabinet Deputy Secretary Tony Bates has revealed to a parliamentary inquiry the state’s fire services were locked out of early consultation due to fears they would “leak” the government’s plan.

The extraordinary remark came before Mr Bates revealed 15 or more meetings were held with the union between January and April.

Victorian fire services split: CFA and MFB to divide in radical plan

Clauses on cancer compensation from the Fire Services Bill were also shared.

The move to split the state’s fire services into a paid and volunteer cohort was discussed as a “broad concept”, but Mr Bates said no decisions had been made at that point.

When asked why the MFB and CFA were not consulted sooner, Mr Bates told the Select Committee: “My concern was that the fire services leak information very openly so in terms of wanting to protect the confidentiality of cabinet considerations I was quite guarded in how much consultation I did with the two fire agencies.”

Opposition spokesman for emergency services Brad Battin. Picture: Hamish Blair

Opposition emergency services spokesman Brad Battin said the revelation showed consultation with the union months before 60,000 volunteers were told.

“Daniel Andrews’ most senior staff admit they were secretly meeting with the firefighters union weekly to hatch the plan to get rid of volunteers,’’ Mr Battin said.

“This is more proof that this legislation is a total political stitch up by Daniel Andrews.”

Minister for Emergency Services James Merlino said the government had consulted all stakeholders.

“We have always said we have had many discussions over the past few months about the problems our fire services face.”

“I have also been talking to volunteers for the past 12 months about these issues.”

“It’s clear that there has been significant engagement throughout the process including before the bill was brought to parliament.”

The admission that the fire services were locked out of early consultation comes after Mr Andrews faced strong criticism from volunteer firefighters and even his own MPs over the secrecy in handling of the legislation.

The plan was revealed in May after being put to Cabinet.

The inquiry today heard consultation began with the CFA in April.

But they were consulted on presumptive rights earlier as the department did not believe they had expertise on the issue.

The MFB was briefed on the plan in mid-May, days before Mr Andrews announced the legislation publicly.

The inquiry to scrutinise the Andrews Government bill began today after the Victorian Government failed to get the numbers to pass the plan in the Legislative Council last month.

The panel also grilled Department of Premier and Cabinet secretary Chris Eccles on why the restructure and the presumptive rights were in the same bill.

He said they were both equally important and declined to comment on whether they should be split into two bills.

The committee heard the Department of Premier and Cabinet backed the plan to split the fire services because of the increasing number of call-outs at integrated stations in outer Melbourne.

The committee was told emergency calls on the urban fringe had increased by 25 per cent in 10 years as the state’s population boomed.