MP claims he found bullet engraved with chilling threat on his car bonnet
Victorian Emergency Services Minister Paul Edbrooke says he found a bullet engraved with his firefighter identification number and the word “RAT” on his family car in Melbourne. He suspects aggrieved union members left it there, but police are investigating and the claim has not been established; the incident has heightened tensions around the union’s dispute with the state government.
Edbrooke said the car is also used by his children and that the discovery frightened them. Union secretary Peter Marshall condemned the threat and said the union would cooperate with police, while explaining his recent “in the gun” remark about Edbrooke and Premier Ben Carroll referred to the ballot box. The union and government have clashed over pay, staffing and employee protections, as well as a proposed union income protection fund.
In short
- A bullet marked “RAT” was found on Edbrooke’s family car.
- Police are investigating who left it.
- The union condemned the threat amid a wider dispute.
Explained simply
Victoria’s emergency services minister, Paul Edbrooke, is a former firefighter. He is involved in negotiations between the state government and the United Firefighters Union, led by secretary Peter Marshall.
The dispute covers firefighters’ pay, staffing and workplace protections, as well as a proposed union income protection fund. These issues affect firefighters’ working conditions and the state’s emergency services, while the disagreement has also become a point of political tension between the union and government.