Member for South West Coast, Roma Britnell, has questioned the cost of the Andrews Government’s proposed CFA agreement, calling for all costings to be released to the public.
On Monday, the sacked chair of the CFA Board, John Peberdy, said he estimated the EBA deal would cost Victorian taxpayers between $600 and $700 million over the next four years.
During question time on Wednesday, Mrs Britnell asked Premier Daniel Andrews if he could guarantee the deal would not exceed $160 million, as the government has previously claimed.
The Premier gave the guarantee with a simple yes, yet was unable to explain the wild disparity between these cost estimates.
Mrs Britnell also called on the Premier to provide all of Treasury’s costings, together with the CFA’s costings, to the Auditor General.
The Premier refused to provide these costings, saying it was up to the Auditor General to request the documents if he wished.
“I want all Victorian’s to know the true cost of the Premier’s deal with Peter Marshall and the United Firefighters Union,” Mrs Britnell said.
“I cannot see any rationale for increasing paid firefighters to ten per shift in Warrnambool over the next four years.
Currently out local volunteers working cooperatively with career firefighters, are doing a sterling job – our communities are safe because these people have chosen to defend us against the risk of fire.
“There is no rationale for increases at Warrnambool’s integrated station today. All Daniel Andrews actions will do is push volunteers out and diminish their roles, costing taxpayers for no extra benefit.”
