VFBV

Values Driven Leadership
By Adam Barnett, VFBV Acting Chief Executive Officer

As we continue through another tense month waiting for Parliament to decide on the future of our Fire Services, there has been much discussion within the sector on whether the Victorian Fire Services are fundamentally broken beyond repair and without redemption. In fact, it is this assumption that sits behind much of the spin and messaging in the justification for the proposed dismantling of CFA, which is a convenient narrative to further a different agenda.

As VFBV has formally stated on the record, we believe this to be an invented crisis to further a political and industrial agenda. Critics of our message have tried to paint volunteer opposition to the proposed legislation as therefore being against change. One only has to read back through every major inquiry into the fire services over the last couple of decades to know nothing could be further from the truth.

In fact, volunteers have frequently led the charge and proposed reforms and improvements to the system for years, pushing the agencies and decision makers to improve, adapt and evolve to better meet our community needs. It is this truth that has made it so easy for all of us to see straight through the empty rhetoric and spin.

The proposed legislation offers us no improvements. It does nothing to improve community safety. It does nothing to fix the issues that volunteers have long campaigned to fix, and it removes the last remaining remnants of flexibility and adaptability to a service delivery model that at its heart is about partnering with our communities to build lasting and effective community safety and resilience.

If there is to be a crisis, then perhaps the most deserving of this moniker would be the crisis of leadership we now find ourselves in. And really, given what has been done to our leadership over the last 12 months, how could we not?

We now find ourselves in a situation where some of our leaders have refused to honour their legal and moral obligations to the Volunteer Charter. They have forced our previous Minister, the Hon Jane Garrett to resign. They have sacked our entire independent 10 member CFA Board. And they have presided over the resignation of no less than two agency Chief Executive Officers, (Nolan and Higgins) and three Chief Officers (Buffone, Rau and Stacchino). And what is the wrong that all these people have apparently committed? Is it they dared to take their obligation as officers of a statutory authority seriously, and provided frank and fearless advice to the Government of the day? Is it they dared to lead with honesty and integrity? Is it they dared to stand on principle and honoured their obligation to creating public value and protecting the safety of the Victorian public?

And how poorer is our sector now that all these people of integrity are no longer with us? What does it say to those that are left? What does it say about those that are left or have taken their place?

It is therefore incumbent on us to draw upon the leadership within our own ranks, to lead by example using our shared values of honesty, integrity and inclusiveness – and become masters of our own destiny. To put our communities first, and embrace our community based ethos that is at the heart and soul of our CFA service delivery model. To embrace our strengths, and work as one integrated team not separated by our differences, but unified in our desire to serve our communities and the people of Victoria.

So what to do when people try to segregate us, try to demonise us, and ask us to accept those unable to lead with integrity, honour and respect? We must find a new way, and we must teach our leaders that they must earn our trust and respect, and only then may they deserve our confidence and loyalty. This is not a call to arms, but rather a call to honour.

One can’t help but observe the increasing incidence of people mistaking aggression for strength, and bullying for leadership. It’s up to all of us to recognise bullies in our midst, and call them out. The bullying leader can sometimes be very alluring. They can often be smart and charismatic. But like a magician, they rely on tricks and misdirection that doesn’t survive an inquisitive peek behind the curtain. So how do we recognise the bullying leader?

1. A bully leader dominates and intimidates and issues directives and orders. They are authoritarian and demand things be done their way. Compromise is seen as weakness. They are pulling everyone else down so that they can push themselves up
   
   
2. A bully leader surrounds themselves with yes people and only those willing to agree with them and go along with their orders without question. Inclusiveness is reserved only for the chosen few sycophants willing to sell their creditability and reputation to advance their leaders cause. They mistrust everyone and rarely delegate, believing only they have the power and charisma to pull it off
   
   
3. A bully leader plans and plots in secret. They control access to information and rely on ignorance and despise transparency. Manipulation is their weapon of choice, and they distort and manipulate the information and narrative so it tells the story they want told. They communicate with subterfuge and spin to mask their real intent and objectives
   
   
4. A bully leader lacks empathy for others. They are dismissive of other people and opinions, and use ridicule and criticism to cut down their competition or objectors. They are aggressive and use power plays to get what they want. They manipulate other people by fear and aggression and use intimidation and victimisation to target those that don’t agree with them.

But here is the secret to dealing with the bullying leader. Leaders need followers. And each of us has the power to choose the values and behaviours we will accept. And here’s the thing about leadership, there is a symbiotic link between those that lead and those that follow. It’s a choice. We each have the power to choose those that we place our trust and confidence in, and we can use that choice to influence the kind of leadership we get.

The wonderful thing about CFA is the community ethos of our brigades. We don’t need to look up for leadership – we are surrounded by it. Look for people that inspire you. Look for people that approach leadership as a collaborative task. They empower those around them, they welcome differences of opinion and seek to understand why people don’t agree with them. They share their knowledge and vision in an effort for people to understand where they are coming from, and what they are trying to achieve. They approach leadership as a true partnership.

They work hard to communicate with honesty and integrity, and build trust and respect amongst all those that deal with them. Their strength comes from their quiet determination to do what is right. They are not afraid to make difficult decisions – but always have empathy with those that may be disadvantaged by them. They inspire us, and make us want to do better. They cause us to look back at overcoming difficult challenges with pride, and not regret or shame.

The sad reality is that bullying leaders rarely storm the fortress and steal our blind obedience and support. Rather, we get fooled in giving it away. Perhaps not consciously, but certainly subconsciously. By doing so, we are ultimately devaluing the worth of our loyalty and support. Ultimately, we teach people how to treat us.

The bullying leader should have no place in our organisation or our sector. The bullying leader loses all moral authority and legitimacy to lead. I am reminded of Herman Melville’s story of Bartleby the Scrivener. Bartleby decides one day to answer all his boss’s orders with; “I would prefer not to.”

We need to reaffirm and restate the values and behaviours that we expect of our leaders. And it isn’t a one-way journey. We must model the behaviours we want to see in others, and reward those that display the values and behaviours that are important to us. It won’t happen overnight, but little by little we can influence and shape the type of leadership we deserve. Bullying leaders treat power as a commodity – and without it – they cannot lead for very long. The sooner we choose to value who it is we put our trust and confidence in – the sooner we can shape our own destiny and the destiny of the wonderful organisation we are all apart of.

Choose wisely, and never underestimate the power of your individual voice and ultimately the people you choose to be led by. Do it respectfully, and have faith in yourself. Put value on the qualities you demand from your leaders and don’t settle for less. This in turn will ensure only those that deserve your trust and confidence will become tomorrow’s leaders.

Welfare & Efficiency Survey Now Open

The annual VFBV Welfare and Efficiency Survey is now live and you are encouraged to have your say.

One of the largest surveys of its kind, the VFBV Volunteer Welfare and Efficiency Survey is a critical tool to capture the views of CFA volunteers and track what the key issues are, and how well CFA is performing in relation to meeting volunteer needs.

This is the sixth year the survey has been offered, and with the high number of participants, is an extremely reliable representation of the views of volunteers across CFA. Participation is important to ensure the survey continues to be a significant method of capturing volunteer opinion, and guarantee volunteer voices are heard.

The survey is also being offered to emergency management volunteers across Victoria and Fire Services around the country for the second year. This not only enables a sector view of volunteer opinion, it also allows for a comparative view about how CFA volunteers feel compared to their peers with other agencies.

It is vital that you get involved. The survey will take 10 – 15 minutes to complete and is open until close of business 16 October 2017.

A link to the survey as well as last year’s results can be found on the VFBV website. The national and Sector results are also available.

Cold Climate Jackets Project Complete

The Cold Climate Jacket project that was supported and advocated by VFBV back in 2015 has officially ended, officially closing on 30 June 2017.

Following advice that CFA would not consider personal issue of cold climate jackets, VFBV advocated for funding through the VESEP program to fund a cache of jackets for each brigade, similar to how the black jackets had been distributed to rural brigades many years ago.

Over the course of the project - 7,176 cold climate jackets have been distributed across 1,196 brigades, with six jackets covering a range of sizes distributed to each brigade. With the distribution now complete, additional jackets can be purchased through the State Logistics Centre at cost price.

VFBV has congratulated the CFA Protective Equipment Department on its management of the project, and thanked the CFA VESEP secretariat for its support of the program.

Disappointingly, there have been reports of some Districts which did not consult with brigades on what size jackets were provided. District OM’s were provided an opportunity in July 2016 to review the standard range of sizes and request changes to the default sizing allocations in consultation with brigades.

VFBV has requested Districts that did not consult with brigades on sizing consider purchasing relevant sizes from the SLC and support brigades in swapping sizes on a one for one basis as appropriate.

VFBV is also advocating for additional sets to be supplied to brigades each year, in order to build up the pool of jackets available.

Ivecco Heavy Tanker Mods

CFA has advised that 10 of the 40 Iveco Tankers have now completed rectification works and been returned to operational duty. The remaining 30 are expected to be completed and returned to service by the end of October.

In addition to the brake line rectification works being conducted, in consultation with the DMO’s CFA are undertaking additional modifications to the Heavy Tankers whilst they are in for repair, including; realignment of the rear tray section; stiffening the front tray headboard; strengthening the cabin front step; and improving the pump engine radiator shrouding to overcome the potential overheating issues. CFA has agreed to undertake these works internally via the DMO’s rather than by the manufacturer, in order to rebuild confidence in the field of these vehicles.

Vehicles that were “in service” have been prioritised so they can return to operational service ASAP. The Joint Equipment & Infrastructure Committee has requested to be kept informed of progress on the repairs and subsequent roll-out.

Victorian Radio Network

The Joint VFBV/CFA Communications Committee discussed progress on the new network that will sit over the top of the existing radio network called the Victorian Radio. CFA has confirmed there will also be a multi-agency Op Tech advisory group (OTAG) set up to ensure all users have input into the new system, which delivers on VFBV’s advocacy since the current pagers were introduced, of the importance of ensuring volunteer feedback, evaluation and needs are identified and addressed early in the process, so the mistakes of that rollout are not repeated.

As previously advised, as part of this project the long awaited upgrade to the outer metropolitan network (Districts 7, 8, 13 and 14) which are still operating on the old analogue network, will finally migrate to the digital system as part of these changes. The Committee is currently reviewing capacity requirements, with learnings from a similar network recently rolled out in Queensland providing some confidence in the capacity of the network to manage congestion between agencies. 

VFBV Support Officer (North East)

VFBV is seeking to appoint a VFBV Support Officer to work in regional Victoria with VFBV District Councils, Brigades and volunteers to facilitate consultation, issues resolution and volunteer engagement.

The position is a State role, with emphasis and focus on providing support throughout CFA’s North East Region (Districts 12, 13, 22, 23 and 24). This is an existing position, with the incumbent vacating the role.

In addition to relevant skills, candidates will need to understand CFA and volunteerism, be good listeners, and be able to navigate through complex issues resolution, be self starters and have a passion to improve arrangements that benefit the welfare and efficiency of CFA volunteers.

Extensive regional Victorian work travel is envisaged and flexible work base locations will be considered for this position, with the priority focus in the North East Region covering CFA Districts 12, 13, 22, 23 and 24. Applicants living outside the region, but within a reasonable distance (neighbouring districts) will also be considered.

Flexible working arrangements, to cater for extensive evening and weekend work, will be tailored to match the needs of our volunteer membership base, and a vehicle will be provided for travel.

This is a full time position giving the right candidate an opportunity to really put their stamp on the VFBV of the future.

All applications must include both a current resume and a cover letter addressing the key selection criteria outlined in the position description. A copy of the Position Description can be found on our website www.vfbv.com.au   

Any questions or queries re the application process should be directed to Cathie Smith from the VFBV Office on (03) 9886 1141 or via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Applications close 25 September

VFBV is seeking to appoint a VFBV Support Officer to work in regional Victoria with VFBV District Councils, Brigades and volunteers to facilitate consultation, issues resolution and volunteer engagement. Position is a State role, with emphasis and focus on providing support throughout CFA’s North East Region (Districts 12, 13, 22, 23 and 24). This is an existing position, with the incumbent leaving the role.

In addition to relevant skills, candidates will need to understand CFA and volunteerism, be good listeners, and be able to navigate through complex issues resolution, be self-starters and have a passion to improve arrangements that benefit the welfare and efficiency of CFA volunteers.

Extensive regional Victorian work travel is envisaged and flexible work base locations will be considered for this position, with the priority focus in the West region covering CFA Districts 12, 13, 22, 23 and 24. Applicants living outside the North East, but within a reasonable distance (neighbouring districts) will also be considered.

Flexible working arrangements, to cater for extensive evening and weekend work, will be tailored to match the needs of our volunteer membership base.

This is a full time position giving the right candidate an opportunity to really put their stamp on the VFBV of the future.

All applications must include both a current resume and a cover letter addressing the key selection criteria outlined in the position description.

Applications close Tuesday 3rd October 2017

Any questions or queries re the application process should be directed to Cathie Smith from the VFBV Office on (03) 9886 1141 or via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Any interested applicants to the VFBV Support Officer position, are also encouraged to speak to one of our existing VFBV Support Officers (Glenn, Mark, Angela, Peter and Mary Anne) and/or State Councillors who would be more than happy to give members a sense of the role.

Download the Position Description from here.

The 2017 Volunteer Welfare and Efficiency Survey is now open to all CFA volunteers.

CLICK HERE TO TAKE THE CFA SURVEY

The survey is running until October 30

The VFBV Volunteer Welfare & Efficiency Survey is an annual snapshot of volunteer opinion, which includes 33 questions on issues chosen by CFA volunteers. Last year a record number of CFA volunteers completed the survey and over 7,000 volunteers took part national across our interstate surveys. Your comments are confidential, but the results go straight to the decision makers.

The survey will take 10 – 15 minutes to complete and is open until close of business 30 October 2017.

The survey continues to be an important and reliable method to capture the views of volunteers and track what has been achieved and is improving, as well as addressing areas that are the cause of dissatisfaction for volunteers. You can access last years results from here.

For the second year, and from September 15, the survey is also being offered to volunteers from across the emergency management sector in Victoria (The Emergency Management Volunteer Welfare and Efficiency Survey) and to volunteers from fire agencies from across Australia. Please see below for details of the other State and Territory Fire Service surveys available. Details and links of the other Victorian Emergency Management agencies partipating in this years survey will be provided after the 15th September when those survey open.

2017 Volunteer Welfare and Efficiency Survey available to Fire Agency Volunteers from Across Australia

For the second year, the Volunteer Welfare and Efficiency Survey is being offered to volunteers from fire agencies from across Australia. The survey has been a success in Victoria since 2012 and is being offered to fire service volunteers again in 2017 through each state’s representative associations as part of the Council of Australian Volunteer Fire Associations (CAVFA).

The survey was developed by Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria (VFBV), to address a significant gap in the information available to the state’s decision makers, and over the years it has become an unmatched guide to trends in volunteer opinions.

The survey will take 10 – 15 minutes to complete and is open until close of business 30 October 2017.

To take part, click on your fire service below

New South Wales

NSW Rural Fire Service

Queensland

Rural Fire Service Queensland

South Australia

Country Fire Service

Tasmania

Tasmanian Fire Service Volunteers

Note Tasmanian Fire Service Retained Volunteers Association have elected to not take part this year, please contact TRVFA if you have any queries

Victoria

Country Fire Authority

Western Australia

Volunteer Fire and Rescue Service

Bush Fire Service

NOTE TO MEMBERS – 18 August 2017                                          

FIRE SERVICES BILL SELECT COMMITTEE
FINAL REPORT

This morning the Fire Services Bill Select Committee tabled the Final Report of its inquiry into the Fire Services Bill. 

VFBV welcomed the Final Report, and congratulated the Select Committee on the way they had engaged with all stakeholders. The Committee has worked diligently and within a very tight timeline to hear and examine the evidence put before it. VFBV is extremely grateful for the opportunity provided to volunteers and staff alike to be represented at Regional forums to discuss first hand their concerns with the Government’s proposed legislation.

The Committee’s Final Report provides 10 Recommendations, and 10 Findings, which VFBV fully supports and endorses.

The recommendations and findings overwhelming recommend that the Bill be withdrawn – and in the event the Government decides not to withdraw it – then the Committee recommends that that the Legislative Council should reject the bill. The Committee have also recommended that the Presumptive Rights Compensation part of the legislation should be split from the Bill and reintroduced as a standalone bill.

The final report finds that the Government developed its restructure proposal secretly and quickly – bypassing normal government processes, and has justifiably criticized the Government’s claim of ‘executive privilege’ to avoid producing evidence requested by the Committee, a ruse designed to frustrate the Committee’s inquiry. It also found that the Government did not meet its statutory obligation to consult with VFBV and volunteers.

RECOMMENDATIONS AND FINDINGS

Key recommendations of the Committee:

RECOMMENDATION 6: Due to the lack of implementation, operational and funding certainty; failure to undertake consultation; and consequential polarisation of fire services volunteers and staff, the Bill should be withdrawn. If not withdrawn, the Legislative Council should reject the Bill.

RECOMMENDATION 7: Part 2 of the Bill, ‘Firefighters’ Presumptive Rights Compensation’ should be reintroduced to Parliament as a stand-alone Bill to be considered on its merits.

Further recommendations of the Committee:

RECOMMENDATION 1: The Government ensure compliance with its consultation obligations under the Volunteer Charter and the Country Fire Authority Act 1958 prior to proceeding with any further reform of the fire services.

RECOMMENDATION 2: The Government undertake meaningful and balanced consultation with Emergency Management Victoria, the Country Fire Authority, the Metropolitan Fire Brigade, staff and volunteer representatives prior to proposing any further reform of the fire services.

RECOMMENDATION 3: The Government develop and publish a detailed implementation plan in parallel with any further fire services reform proposal.

RECOMMENDATION 4: Country Fire Authority staff should continue to be employed directly by the Country Fire Authority, and solely within the Country Fire Authority chain of command. Secondment should only be used for staff exchange/development opportunities, not as a default employment mechanism.

RECOMMENDATION 5: The Government and its agencies not endorse any enterprise agreement, instrument or accord, which has the effect of limiting the exercise of statutory powers of the chief officer(s) of the fire service(s).

RECOMMENDATION 8: The Government ensure adequate infrastructure funding for the fire services independently of the restructure.

RECOMMENDATION 9: The Government develop and publish a detailed funding plan in parallel with any further fire services structural reform proposal. The funding plan should identify and address the impact of:

1. resource and asset transfers between the Country Fire Authority and Fire Rescue Victoria;
2. the creation of the Fire Rescue Victoria fire district on the Fire Services Property Levy revenue base beyond the two year freeze period; and
3. any changes to the differential charging rates for the Fire Services Property Levy beyond the two year freeze period.

RECOMMENDATION 10: The Legislative Council refer the Department of Premier and Cabinet to the Legislative Council Privileges Committee for investigation of its interference with the Committee’s inquiry.

In addition to the above ten recommendations, the Committee have also made ten findings:

FINDING 1: The restructure of the Country Fire Authority and the Metropolitan Fire Brigade as proposed in the Bill was not included among the recommendations of the fire services reviews undertaken over the last decade.

FINDING 2: The policy development process for the restructure did not involve representatives from Emergency Management Victoria, the Country Fire Authority or the Metropolitan Fire Brigade.

FINDING 3: The Government’s failure to consult with the Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria as required by the Volunteer Charter and the Country Fire Authority Act 1958 has caused considerable concern to Country Fire Authority volunteers, reinforced the perception of a bias towards the United Firefighters Union, and undermined confidence in the restructure proposal.

FINDING 4: The Government’s original written submission to the Committee contained substantial errors relating to its claimed level of consultation. Its failure to acknowledge and correct those errors until prompted by the Committee undermines confidence in the claimed consultation process.

FINDING 5: The Government’s failure to undertake implementation planning in parallel with developing the restructure proposal has caused substantial and unnecessary uncertainty in the community as to the impact of the proposed changes on the fire services.

FINDING 6: The Government has taken the unusual step of including ‘implementing the Victorian Government’s fire and emergency services priorities’ as a statutory function of Fire Rescue Victoria alongside fire prevention and suppression, and emergency prevention and response.

FINDING 7: Section 38 of the Bill as drafted may limit the capacity of the Country Fire Authority Chief Officer to exercise operational control of seconded staff.

FINDING 8: The impact of the restructure on firefighting surge capacity is disputed and will not be known until after the restructure is bedded down. It is important that surge capacity is not diminished through changes to the fire services.

FINDING 9: The development and publication of quarterly outcomes-based fire services performance measures will provide the Victorian community with more meaningful data than is presently available.

FINDING 10: The Government’s claim of executive privilege over the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission report is inconsistent with the Commission’s stated intention of publicly releasing its report in mid-2017. The Committee regards the changing explanations provided by the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commissioner for her failure to comply with the summons, along with the Government’s claim of executive privilege as designed to frustrate the Committee’s Inquiry.

MINORITY REPORT

Whilst a minority report was also tabled, the minority report from the Labor and Green members of the Committee also supported eight of the ten recommendations. They agreed with recommendations 1, 3, 5 and 8 – and agreed-in-principle to recommendations 2, 4, 9 and 10.

Disappointingly the minority report did not agree that the Presumptive Rights Legislation  component of the bill be separated so that it can return to Parliament as a standalone bill, and be considered on its merits.

GOVERNMENT RESPONSE

Following the release of the Committee’s Final Report - the Government’s Media release advises that the Government will closely consider the recommendations made by the Committee.

It is unknown if Government will accept the recommendations, or choose to re-table its legislation when the Upper House sit next week. Prior to the release of the Final Report, the Government had indicated it was seeking to debate the bill in the Upper House when its sits again next week.

Should Government decide to put their legislation to a vote, the legislation will again be left to the cross bench to decide on its future, with the Government requiring the support of the five Greens plus two of the remaining five independents to pass the legislation.

VFBV VISION

VFBV wants to make it very clear that CFA volunteers appreciate and respect the dedication, skill and work of our CFA paid colleagues.  Our vision for CFA is for it to be a modern and contemporary emergency service where volunteers and paid staff work side by side, as equals and respect one another. 

We are against anything that tries to create a wedge between volunteers & paid staff, and any arrangements that seek to demoralise, discriminate or segregate volunteers from our paid colleagues.  We are all CFA members who want to put our communities first.

Our desire is for a modern approach, focussed on all people working together to maintain and build volunteer and community safety; a respectful culture focussed on empowering and supporting local volunteer brigades and communities with the flexibility and agility to enable CFA to tailor resources and support to local community’s needs.

WAY FORWARD

VFBV fully supports all ten recommendations of the Committee, and believes each of those recommendations should be accepted and diligently worked through to rebuild trust and confidence between Government and all stakeholders.

VFBV suggestion for immediate steps as a way forward include:

1. The proposed legislation should not be supported. The Bill should be withdrawn and its underlying assumptions rethought for the provision of agile, responsive and effective community embedded public safety across Victoria
   
   
2. The Presumptive Rights Legislation should be split into a separate Bill, and remove the discriminatory aspects from the bill to ensure volunteers and career staff are provided equal protection and treatment
   
   
3. Establishment of an independently chaired, all stakeholder fire service improvement task force as an immediate step in rebuilding trust and respect between Government and all stakeholders and agencies, creating a shared vision and journey to:
   1. Commence and actively facilitate organisational culture and positive relationship shift
   2. Engage key stakeholders on fair and equal footing
   3. Support active leadership to rebuild a shared focus and commitment to common operating principles and goals
   4. Facilitate an independent review of fire service best practice models to inform reform
   5. Identify priority areas for improvement in Victoria’s Fire Services including treatment options for service delivery gaps if they exist across either services
   6. Ensure independent and transparent assessment of options and feasibility/costs/benefits impacts of proposed reforms (including cost/benefit analysis)
   7. Develop a Fire Service Reform program owned and designed by the people on the ground
      
      
4. Commit to a genuine and robust consultation framework to ensure Government and agencies comply with their legislative consultation obligations under the Volunteer Charter and the CFA Act and strengthen processes to independently monitor and report on breaches
   
   
5. Resolve the industrial impasse – and put the proposed EBA to Fair Work Australia and allow the “fair umpire” and subsequent transparent process to resolve any concerns
   
   
6. Facilitate an accord between all stakeholders and agencies to agree on processes to find common ground and resolve differences of opinion
   
   
7. Proceed immediately with the additional financial support promised to CFA that was an acknowledgment of CFA’s chronic underfunding to assist with training, equipment and key volunteer support initiatives
   
   
8. Facilitate the release of the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission report into the Fire Services, and establish a values driven cultural reform agenda to improve and address any cultural issues identified in the VEOHRC report

NEXT STEPS

Please continue to write, email or visit your local MPs, particularly Upper House MPs, and ask them to support the Committee’s ten recommendations.

For MP’s and other supporters who have publicly declared they will not be supporting the Bill, write them a thank-you, or call to thank them for their support.

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