News

Emergency Services | June 02, 2017

Kealy slams Labor’s CFA Bill

The Nationals Member for Lowan, Emma Kealy MP has slammed the Andrews Labor Government decision to integrate the Presumptive Rights Compensation with its plans to split the CFA.

The “Firefighters’ Presumptive Rights Compensation and Fire Services Legislation Amendment (Reform) Bill 2017 will be debated in parliament this week and combines a CFA restructure and presumptive cancer compensation in the one piece of legislation.

Labor’s proposed restructure of the CFA would effectively hand control of our volunteers to the united Firefighters Union (UFU).

Ms Kealy said that in a new political low, Daniel Andrews has linked cancer compensation for firefighters to his bid to boost union power.

“This is a move that no morally competent government would make and is a reprehensible attempt from this divisive Premier to ram through his plans to break up the CFA,” Ms Kealy said.

“The Nationals strongly support helping fire fighters and their families who are dealing with the stresses of cancer caused through by their willingness to volunteer their time to protect people and property.

“We would like to see presumptive legislation passed as a matter of urgency.

“If Daniel Andrews had even a shred of decency he would immediately split these bills and put people before politics”, she said.

Ms Kealy said that for whatever reason, the UFU and its secretary Peter Marshall now have control of Daniel Andrews.

“Let’s not forget either that Chief Steve Warrington and Francis Diver, the two highest people in the current CFA, were hand selected by Daniel Andrews”, Ms Kealy said.

“This Labor government, which was elected on the back of the UFU, has shown absolute contempt for the rights of volunteer firefighters to debate their future without fear or favour,” she said.