Victorian minister Paul Edbrooke finds bullet marked 'RAT' on car; police investigate

Left · 2Victoria's Emergency Services Minister, Paul Edbrooke, a former firefighter and Labor MP for Frankston, found a bullet on the bonnet of his car on Saturday. 1 2 Left · 2The bullet was etched with the word "RAT" and his old five-digit firefighter identification number; the ABC reported this on the basis of its understanding, and Edbrooke confirmed it to reporters. 1 2 Left · 2Victoria Police said its Security Investigation Unit is investigating a threat against a member of parliament alleged to have occurred in the greater Frankston area; The Independent reported it was reported to police on Sunday. 1 2

Left · 1Edbrooke said the bullet's presence meant someone had been following him and knew his car, which his young adult children also drive, and that he would not be intimidated. He said the ID number was a detail "only firefighters would be aware of" but that he did not know who left the bullet. 2 Left · 2Edbrooke said a "small minority" of people in the United Firefighters Union (UFU) thought threats and intimidation were acceptable, but that this was not representative of firefighters; he called the incident "a new low in a pattern of threatening behaviour against politicians". 1 2 Left · 2The UFU has been in a dispute with Fire Rescue Victoria, an agency Edbrooke oversees, since 2021 and is taking action at the Fair Work Commission over its enterprise agreement. 1 2

Left · 1The union's Victorian secretary, Peter Marshall, condemned the threat "without qualification" and said whoever left the bullet does not speak for firefighters or the union. He also defended a Friday video in which he said Edbrooke and Premier Ben Carroll were "in the gun", saying he meant at the ballot box. 2 Left · 1Carroll said he was "disgusted", opposition leader Jess Wilson urged all sides to "take the temperature down", and the Greens said there was "absolutely no place for threats and intimidation". 2 Left · 2The incident follows last Monday's attack on federal independent MP Helen Haines outside her Wangaratta office, in which she lost both legs; The Independent said there is no suggestion the two are linked. 1 2

Left · 2The state election is on November 28; police commissioner Mike Bush has said police are taking a "proactive" approach to politicians' security. The Independent added that the UFU has vowed a campaign urging voters to put Labor last, and that Edbrooke urged other parties, including the Greens, to reconsider their ties with the union. 1 2