THE CFA has once again delivered its opinion of the proud group’s forced merger – mandated by the Andrew Labor Government – with its board chairman the latest high profile casualty.
Member for Murray Plains Peter Walsh said Greg Smith was thrown in the deep end to take over the CFA board at the height of the crisis surrounding the volunteer group’s future.
Mr Walsh said Mr Smith had steered the organisation through the next four years.
“And four years would almost get you long service leave at the CFA as the heads keep rolling,” he said.
“Mr Smith left saying ‘with the implementation of fire services reform, I believe now is the time for a change in leadership of the CFA board to enable a new chair to drive the organisation forward’,” Mr Walsh added.
“Brave words but they must seem futile when you consider he is the 23rd senior person – and one of the Andrews Labor Government’s own Ministers is in that tally – to have walked out from the CFA since Daniel Andrews and his union buddies launched their putsch for total control in Victoria,” he said.
“CFA volunteers selflessly serve our country communities when we need it most, but they’ve been silenced by Labor during its destructive campaign to destroy the CFA.
“If The Nationals are elected to government in 2022, we will work with Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria (VFBV) and CFA brigades across the state to restore and rebuild the CFA to fix the damage done by Daniel Andrews.”
Mr Smith was formerly the Fair Work Commissioner before being appointed to the CFA board by Deputy Premier James Merlino, who had Emergency Services Minister in 2016 when Jane Garrett quit the Andrew Labor Government Cabinet rather than sign off a workplace agreement being pushed by the United Fire Fighters Union.
Mr Walsh said CFA management had become a revolving door of disillusioned and dejected executives who can see local CFA brigades and their commanders losing all control in their own backyards.