The Victorian opposition leader, Brad Battin, and firefighters union boss, Peter Marshall, have sparked backlash after attending a rally in Melbourne’s west where the slogan “ditch the bitch” was emblazoned on a fire truck.
The phrase, apparently directed at the premier, Jacinta Allan, echoes the infamous “ditch the witch” poster that Tony Abbott stood in front of during a 2011 rally, which was widely condemned at the time as sexist and misogynistic towards the then prime minister Julia Gillard.
Gillard made reference to the sign in her 2012 misogyny speech and later said it should have been a “career-ending moment” for Abbott.
Other slogans displayed on the truck at Sunday’s rally in Werribee, held against the government’s new emergency services levy, included “Truck Jacinta” and “Raping the regions for the ring of steel” – a reference to the Covid-19 policy that separated Melbourne from regional Victoria.
Micaela Drieberg, the chief executive of Gender Equity Victoria, said it was “hard to believe” that “disgusting signage insulting our leaders based on their gender” continued to be used.
“We would never accept this based on someone’s race, and we should hold the same standards with gender,” Drieberg said.
“It’s exhausting and demoralising for women in leadership, and we have been here before. We saw this issue brought to the forefront over 15 years ago when we saw similar signage directed at Julia Gillard, our sole female prime minister.
“It wasn’t acceptable then and it isn’t acceptable now.”
• Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email
Helen Bolton, the chief executive of Respect Victoria, described the slogans as “misogynistic language” that “has no place in public debate”.
“This type of language sets the tone for how women are treated – in public life, in schools, workplace and behind closed doors – so it needs to be challenged and called out for what it is – sexism,” she said.
It is understood the slogans were the work of female volunteers from the Country Fire Authority’s Pura Pura brigade. The CFA has been approached for comment.
Both Battin and Marshall, the Victorian branch secretary of the United Firefighters Union, delivered speeches at the event from atop another fire truck.
Battin said he stood with CFA volunteers and farming families affected by the “unfair” levy.
“I attended the rally to listen and call for its removal. I do not endorse offensive signs or language at the protest – anger should not become personal attacks,” he said.
“Farmers and volunteers are under severe financial and emotional strain, with tragic consequences.”
Allan is currently on leave. In a statement, the acting premier, Jaclyn Symes, accused Battin of “turning a blind eye to sexist slogans at rallies he attends”.
“This pathetic display from Brad Battin tells you everything about the Liberals’ deep-rooted issues with respecting women,” Symes said.
“In the [Victorian] Liberal party, women aren’t in the leadership team, they’re not at the decision-making table, and they’re not respected – they’re on their own.”
She also stressed the slogans “do not represent the thousands of men and women that volunteer for the CFA and have been at pains to make women feel safe in their ranks”.
Battin would not say whether he was aware of the slogans while at the event. A spokesperson for the UFU said Marshall wasn’t.
“This language is unacceptable. Mr Marshall and the UFU condemn it in the strongest possible terms,” they said.
“Those who displayed the slogans have no association with the UFU and the union had no forewarning that this language would be used at the public event.”
Only UFU-endorsed slogans were displayed on UFU-branded placards, they added.
The protest was sparked by anger over the emergency services levy, which replaces the fire services levy and provides funding to the CFA, SES, State Control Centre and triple-zero – agencies facing increased pressure due to more frequent and extreme weather events.
The best public interest journalism relies on first-hand accounts from people in the know.
If you have something to share on this subject you can contact us confidentially using the following methods.
Secure Messaging in the Guardian app
The Guardian app has a tool to send tips about stories. Messages are end to end encrypted and concealed within the routine activity that every Guardian mobile app performs. This prevents an observer from knowing that you are communicating with us at all, let alone what is being said.
If you don't already have the Guardian app, download it (iOS/Android) and go to the menu. Select ‘Secure Messaging’.
SecureDrop, instant messengers, email, telephone and post
See our guide at theguardian.com/tips for alternative methods and the pros and cons of each.
The levy will raise the average annual bill by $63 for residential homeowners and $678 for primary producers, leading to backlash from some farmers and firefighters.
The government, however, paused the introduction of the levy for farmers in 2025–26 due to the drought affecting parts of the state.
At a protest over the levy in May, a farmer left a box of manure outside Allan’s parliament office, which the premier described at the time as “inappropriate”. She also criticised Battin for failing to condemn Liberal MPs who allowed the farmer into the parliamentary precinct.
Allan has also been subjected to a gendered cartoon, depicting her as a nude catwalk model, soon after she became premier.
She previously told Guardian Australia seeing the cartoon “was like a blow to the stomach” but she chose to call it out, citing Gillard’s experience.
