United Firefighters Union launch pre-election campaign blitz against Daniel Andrews

The Andrews government is putting lives at risk, ignoring key issues and “trashing” laws, according to a campaign orchestrated by a former friend.

Victorian voters will be told in a damaging advertising campaign that firefighter and community safety is “under fire” and the Andrews government is putting lives at risk.

The United Firefighters Union, once an ally of Premier Daniel Andrews, has launched a pre-election blitz that sources say will cost it more than $1m.

The ad campaign consists of a website and television and radio advertisements.

The union says the government has ignored four key issues, including removing more than 30 firetrucks — one almost 40 years old — from the roads.

The campaign also sounds the alarm on a lack of specialised equipment and training standards, warning the number of firefighters with up-to-date skills is declining.

Central to the campaign will be an attack on the state’s ­decision to expand firefighter cancer laws to other workers.

Daniel Andrews campaigning with firefighters in 2014.

Under legislation passed in 2018, if a firefighter is diagnosed with cancer they do not have to prove it was caused by their career to make a valid compensation claim.

The word “firefighters” would change to “persons” to include mechanics attending fire scenes, but the union argues this will produce flow-on effects that risk the scheme being financially unviable.

Union boss Peter Marshall said the government had “betrayed” professional firefighters by “trashing” the laws.

“Every day through the course of their work professional firefighters are exposed to toxic chemicals which have been scientifically proven to cause cancer,” he said.

“Presumptive cancer legislation was created to acknowledge the fact that firefighters are at much higher risk than the general population or ­others who do not fight fires, of contracting cancer.

United Firefighters Union Peter Marshall is leading the campaign against the Premier.

“But by expanding coverage of the legislation, against the findings of the Australian Senate inquiry, to people who are not exposed to the same toxins firefighters are, the Andrews government has completely undermined the laws designed to protect firefighters.

“Understandably, professional firefighters are extremely concerned by this, and that’s why we’ve launched this major campaign.”

Assistant chief fire officer Graeme Murphy, who features in the TV ad, said firefighters were exposed to toxins every time they entered a house fire.

“Over my career they’ve given me cancer,” he said.

“Fortunately, special laws allowed firefighters like me to receive medical help. But the Andrews government has trashed these laws, putting me and my family at risk.”

Originally published as United Firefighters Union launch pre-election campaign blitz against Daniel Andrews