News

Emergency Services Volunteers | November 02, 2018

Equal rights for all firefighters under The Nationals

All Victorian firefighters will have equal access to cancer compensation under a Nationals Government.

The Nationals Member for Lowan Emma Kealy said a Guy-Walsh Government had vowed to introduce a Presumptive Legislation Bill in the first parliamentary sitting week of 2019 if elected on 24 November.

Ms Kealy said the bill would ensure all career and volunteer firefighters have fair and timely access to cancer compensation.

“CFA volunteers do an amazing job protecting us at no cost and they do it because they love their local community,” Ms Kealy said.

“The best way we can repay our volunteers is by respecting and protecting them and their families in their time of need.

“Our firefighters do not deserve to be treated as a political tool but unfortunately this is what we have seen happen over the last four years.

“Labor lied to firefighters when they promised this vital piece of legislation would be introduced within 100 days of the 2014 state election.

“When Labor finally introduced their proposed laws they discriminated against volunteer firefighters who were not covered and tied the cancer compensation to reforms to tear apart the CFA.

“Every day CFA volunteers leave their families to save lives, protect property and keep us safe and in return I am committed to protecting their rights.”

The Nationals’ presumptive legislation would cover the 12 specified diseases consistent with the legislation previously introduced in Parliament.

Victoria is currently the only state in Australia that doesn’t offer cancer presumptive rights compensation to volunteer firefighters.