Victorian Opposition promises fire services royal commission
VICTORIA’S Opposition will hold a $10 million royal commission into industrial woes in the state’s fire services if it wins government but won’t examine below-par response times.
Despite multiple reviews and inquiries into the Metropolitan Fire Brigade and Country Fire Authority, the Liberal-National Coalition wants a new one, insisting only a royal commission will do the job.
“Having a royal commission with powers to compel evidence is the strongest and most direct way at solving a cultural problem in our fire services,” Opposition Leader Matthew Guy said yesterday.
According to the draft terms of reference, the commission would examine the departure of former emergency services minister Jane Garrett and fire officials, the influence of the United Firefighters Union, the extent of bullying and harassment and the impacts of pay agreements.
Its announcement coincides with data showing benchmark response times are being missed partly because of traffic congestion in Melbourne’s outer suburbs.
Response times are not among the terms of reference. The main focus will be culture.
The Government says a royal commission isn’t needed.
“After years of denial, Matthew Guy has finally admitted our fire services need reforming,” Emergency Services Minister James Merlino said.
The agencies have been embroiled in controversy for years, with a leaked report finding sexual assaults in the CFA went unreported and victims were bullied into silence.
Ms Garrett and multiple key executives and leaders from the CFA and MFB quit rather than support pay deals they argued handed too much power to the UFU.
Ms Garrett ordered a review of bullying and harass- ment in the MFB and CFA but the UFU has gone to the Supreme Court to block the report’s public release.
Earlier in 2017 the government tried to split the CFA into a volunteer-only organisation and create a new paid firefighter service in an effort to break a protracted pay dispute but legislation has stalled in the upper house.