Labor has accused the Turnbull government of starting the new parliament in a “contemptuous way” by refusing to give the opposition a briefing on its proposed legislation dealing with the Victorian Country Fire Authority dispute.
The government wants to introduce legislation to amend the Fair Work Act to “protect” emergency service volunteers after an ugly dispute between the Victorian government, the United Firefighters Union and the CFA.
In early June, the Victorian Labor government pushed through an industrial agreement giving the United Firefighters Union, which represents paid firefighters, more power over the CFA and prompting the emergency services minister, Jane Garrett, to resign in protest.
The CFA board was also sacked by the Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, a fortnight ago after refusing to back the deal.
It prompted Malcolm Turnbull, during the election campaign, to promise his government would protect CFA volunteers, if re-elected, by amending the Fair Work Act.
But Brendan O’Connor, the opposition employment spokesman, says the government has rejected his request to see a draft of the legislation so the Opposition can help to resolve any possible issues prior to its introduction to parliament.
He wrote a letter to the employment minister, Michaelia Cash, two weeks ago to ask for a briefing and for a copy of the legal advice that confirms the Commonwealth’s power to legislate in this area.
But Cash’s office rebuffed his offer, saying: “I am more than happy to arrange for the Department of Employment to brief you on the proposed changes to the Act once the legislation is publicly available.”
O’Connor says the rebuff makes a mockery of Turnbull’s comment about ending “division for division’s sake” in federal politics.
“Malcolm Turnbull and his Liberals have exposed the contemptuous way they will run the new parliament,” O’Connor says.
“If the Liberals genuinely wanted cooperation they would engage in an open and constructive briefing with what is now a complex Senate and not rush the CFA legislation through the parliament,” he said.
“This is the same old disingenuous government with no idea how to run a cooperative parliament.”
A spokesman for Cash told Guardian Australia the Opposition would be offered a briefing on the proposed amendments at the appropriate time.
“The Coalition is getting on with the job of protecting CFA volunteers from a hostile union takeover and unlike the Labor opposition is standing side by side with the men and women who selflessly keep Victorians safe,” the spokesman said.
“The Labor Party needs to stop making excuses and explain why it is supporting a union power-grab at the expense of 60,000 CFA volunteers.”
