Andy Meddick son’s UFU job: Dad votes for CFA split, granting union more power
Volunteer firefighters are demanding the Ombudsman investigate Animal Justice Party MP Andy Meddick’s actions on splitting the CFA.
VOLUNTEERS have been stunned to learn Animal Justice Party MP Andy Meddick’s son took up a job with the United Firefighters Union prior to him voting in favour of splitting the CFA, which grants the union more territory and control.
Mr Meddick has told The Age newspaper: “Last year, my son accepted a casual two-week assignment with the United Firefighters Union – a job that he was tertiary-qualified and had the relevant experience for”.
“He was paid the sum total of $2035. As a long-term unionist, I am so proud of him and the work that he did. My son got the job on his own merits and received a job he deserved.”
Mr Meddick’s vote was crucial to the passage of the Government’s Firefighters’ Presumptive Rights Compensation and Fire Services Legislation Amendment (Reform) Bill through Victorian Parliament in June last year.
But the animal activist MP has added even more fuel to the fire by admitting he declared his position supporting the bill to the UFU and to the Government soon after being elected in November 2018, but not to the media and public.
Less than three weeks prior to voting in favour of the bill to split the CFA, Mr Meddick told The Weekly Times: “I am taking time to thoroughly understand the proposed legislation to ensure I make a fully informed decision”.
Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria chief executive Adam Barnett said the revelation that he had committed to vote in support of the reforms soon after being elected, would be a shock to many volunteers who spoke with Mr Meddick about their concerns during the passage of the bill in early 2019.
“In the minds of CFA volunteers, the ongoing controversy that has surrounded this legislation since it was first introduced by the Andrews Government has inflicted nothing but pain and anguish on the morale of tens of thousands of CFA volunteers,” Mr Barnett said.
“Many volunteers have long held the view that this legislation was wrong, ill-conceived and would be detrimental to Victoria’s fire services and have never been able to understand the Government’s relentless pursuit of these changes without any evidence, analysis or modelling.
“VFBV is calling for a full and independent investigation of the reported allegations and is requesting the matter be referred to IBAC (our corruption watchdog) and the Victorian Ombudsman.
“It is time that these controversies be robustly tested in the interests of public safety. Victoria’s fire service arrangements are far too important and must be beyond reproach.”
Under the reforms, which the Andrews Government forced through to appease the UFU:
ALL the CFA’s operational staff and 38 career and integrated stations will be merged with the MFB to form the new career-only service Fire Rescue Victoria.
THE CFA will have to then second back 229 of its former staff from FRV to run most of the its operations, including 96 commanders, 40 assistant chief fire officers, six community safety officers, plus 87 instructors and supervisors.
THE CFA will have to source all operational staff from FRV, whose staff must meet registration standards set by a committee of four, including two UFU members, an academic and a ministerial appointee.
ALL FRV operational staff, including those seconded to the CFA will be subject to a new enterprise agreement, which grants the UFU veto over all major decisions on staffing, instructors’ hours of work, placement and training.
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