Firefighters go into battle for Daniel Andrews
Victoria’s firefighters union is enlisting thousands of members to lobby the community to support the Andrews Labor government.
Victoria’s firefighters union is enlisting thousands of members to lobby the community to support the Andrews Labor government.
The militant union has launched its campaign backing the government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic amid increased scrutiny over the failures of hotel quarantine, believed responsible for the state’s deadly second wave.
The powerful United Firefighters Union sent letter templates authorised by the union’s firebrand secretary, Peter Marshall, to its members this week.
Comparing the decisions of well paid government frontbenchers to firefighters battling to save their communities from incineration, the letter pledges to reject reporting of the government’s handling of the pandemic.
Allowing members to fill in their own names and rank as well as their preferred politician, it said:
“As a member of the UFU and Fire Rescue Victoria, I know the characterisation of this government is untrue, and the attacks on social media unfair.
“You have been facing the challenge that myself and my colleagues must always face — making decisions in the moment and under enormous pressure.
“Rarely are these decisions perfect and just as with firefighting the consequences can be grave. The decisions made by the Andrews government have no doubt saved many lives.”
Victoria’s coronavirus death toll rose by 14 on Friday, bringing the total to 289.
Premier Daniel Andrews, who has repeatedly referred to the coronavirus pandemic as a public health bushfire, has come under renewed attack this week over what exactly went wrong under the hotel quarantine program, after he gave testimony at a parliamentary inquiry.
The botched regime has been genomically linked to most if not all of the state‘s second wave coronavirus cases.
The UFU letter template further pledges the unwavering support of the UFU and its families.
“I know that your government cares about every Victorian,” the letter said.
“This has been demonstrated by your unwavering commitment to community safety and professional firefighters.”
Early last month the Country Fire Authority firefighters merged with the Metropolitan Fire Brigade to become a single, statewide organisation known as Fire Rescue Victoria.
It came after years of lobbying by the UFU, and a heated industrial dispute between the union and CFA volunteers, which saw the resignation of Jane Garrett as Andrews government emergency services minister in 2016.
The Andrews government also sacked the entire CFA board in 2016, with the CFA’s first female chief Lucinda Nolan and chief fire officer Joe Buffone resigning.
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