A day where a Victorian government minister resigned and a CFA industrial agreement was taken to the courts has been described as “extraordinary” by Benambra MLA Bill Tilley.
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Premier Daniel Andrews moved to sack the CFA board on Friday after the organisation maintained a position stating the new agreement was “unlawful”.
Earlier, Emergency Services minister Jane Garrett resigned because she could not accept the cabinet’s position.
Mr Tilley was forced to resign as parliamentary police secretary in 2012 when the Office of Police Integrity investigated inconsistencies in evidence between him and then police minister Peter Ryan and Mr Tilley.
But he said Ms Garrett’s situation was very different and unlike anything he had seen in recent times.
“It’s an extraordinary day in government, not only seeing them lose a good minister, but move to replace a board that has done extraordinary things,” Mr Tilley said.
A revised deal included an intent to ease concerns of union control and equality opportunity, but not to remove contentious clauses.
The board sacking came despite the Supreme Court granting an injunction preventing any workplace agreement being signed before June 22.
Wodonga West captain Ross Coyle was one of the CFA board members told he would be sacked.
“Standing by the board’s position, that the agreement is not in the interests of CFA, was the only coarse of action I could take in good conscience – the new powers this agreement will hand an industrial body, over CFA, is undeniable,” he said in a statement.
“I have great respect for our career firefighters, and count many of them as friends, and I apologise for the pressure that this issue has put on those friendships … if the sacking of the board begins the healing process that needs to occur, then that will at least be one positive outcome.”
Mr Coyle thanked the Wodonga West brigade for returning him as captain for the next two years.
Mr Tilley said he had been inundated with emails and hoped firefighters could get on with their jobs instead of focusing on the CFA’s divide.
“There’s professional jealousy and there’s a lot of that, not just in the North East, but all across Victoria,” he said.
“When you’re a career or volunteer firefighter, the organisation has to be able to protect life and property.”
