Budgets have been cut

IN RESPONSE to both Jim Child’s and Cindy McLeish’s letters regarding CFA and MFB ‘NEVER’ having their budgets cut by the Napthine Government, I say this is either a complete lie, or an example of their complete incompetence.
Either way it shows neither deserve to represent this electorate in the next four years of parliament.
The facts are, as can be verified in both fire services 2012-’13 annual reports. CFA’s budget was slashed by $41 million, MFB’s budget was slashed by $25 million, a total of $66 million.
Deputy Premier Peter Ryan confirmed this on ABC Radio and in The Age on 5/9/12, stating that the budget cuts shouldn’t affect front line services.
As a professional firefighter for over 26 years, I can assure you our frontline services ARE affected. The defibrillators on our trucks are past their expiry dates, the same as our breathing apparatus, and that’s just to name a few.
Mick Bouke, CEO of CFA and Nick Easy, then CEO of MFB also confirmed the cuts and were quoted as saying “The organisation will manage this through a number of measures”.
This is also a government that has spent over $21 million dollars of the fire service levy, litigating their own firefighters, not to mention stopping firefighters from accessing WorkCover entitlements when they’re struck down by cancer, by voting against the ‘occupational cancer in firefighters bill’, for four years!
Victorians and firefighters are sick to death of politicians deliberately lying to the public, motivated by self-interest, in an attempt to gain a seat in parliament.
Start representing your constituents, not just yourselves!
A very proud but disillusioned firefighter!
Mick Tisbury,
Healesville.