- NEWS RE: CFA RISK UNDER LABOR
- 30 Second Prayer for Government Leaders
- Weekly prayer bulletins
- Report from Public Prayer in Parliament House Sat 15 Nov
Many of us are are fasting for 40 days across this election. Join us to focus on Jesus and His will! It is such a privilege to live in Him and to overflow His love for the people of Victoria!
It is VITAL that we all pray for God’s will is done in this election. Pray with us for a clean electoral process and for wisdom for all voters to choose God’s representatives in each electorate – so Victorians may enjoy the blessing of Jesus’ kingdom through the next term of our state government.
1. NEWS FLASH RE: CFA UNDER LABOR
26 November 2014
AN OPEN LETTER TO THE PEOPLE OF VICTORIA
A message from the Board of Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria.
On Tuesday L8th November, the Labor Party announced a policy that we believe will have
grave and disastrous consequences for CFA.
As CFA volunteer firefighters with an average of over 40 years’service each and as the
elected board of the bodv established in Victorian law to be the voice of CFA volunteers, we
feel the need to take this unprecedented action of activating all Victorians to help us stop a
policy that has the potentialto destroy CFA.
Our concern with the recently announced Labor policy is that it establishes external
industrial interference with the CFA Chief Officer’s power to decide where and when and
how he uses CFA firefighters.
We are also concerned that Labor’s policy will reduce CFA’s volunteer firefighting force by
thousands of volunteers, pushing volunteers out of CFA stations and hundreds of CFA trucks off the road when we need them for major fires such as Black Saturday.
Labor has grossly underestimated the cost and impact of its policy. Labor’s promise of
S150M and an additional 350 paid firefighters actually only provides 70 additional paid
firefighters on the ground at any one time under current paid firefighter rostering
arrangements, and it will come at the expense of thousands of highly trained and
p rofessional volunteer firefighters.
We support and welcome additional paid support and resources for CFA, provided these
resources are required and provided that the CFA determines the need, not a union. Don’t
be fooled, the plan announced by Labor is not about improving community safety in
Victoria, the detail included in their announcement is about giving the control of CFA to a
unton.
Labor’s policy announcement includes specific provisions to surrender CFA operational
decisions to an external industrial relations panel.
See over…
PO Box 453 Mt Waverley 3149 .Unit 9, 24 Lakeside Drive Burwood East 3151.Te| 9886 114. Fax 9886 1618.vfbv@vfbv com.au
Instead of Labor’s policy, we need a plan that will recruit and train more CFA volunteer
firefighters, provide trucks and equipment to combat fires and other incidents, investment
in a modern firefighting fleet, give CFA the flexibility to deploy resources when and where
they are needed and remove industrial control over how CFA uses its workforce.
Victoria is one of the most fire prone areas in the world and there are predictions of longer, hotter and more severe fire seasons ahead. lf Labor’s policy is allowed to push trained and experienced CFA volunteers out of fire stations across greater metropolitan Melbourne, Victoria will not have the fire fighting force it needs for day to day incidents and certainly will not have the force to dealwith major incidents when they occur, such as Black Saturday.
When you vote on Saturday 29th understand one thing, as some of Victoria’s most senior
volunteer firefighters, we believe Labor’s policy for CFA is not good for CFA volunteers, is
not Bood for Victoria and is not good for the future of CFA.
Signed by
Hans van Hamond AFSM
48 years’ volunteer service
State President, Ex Captain Wendouree Fire Brigade
Bruce Pickett AFSM
44 years’ volunteer service
Ex Captain Geelong West Fire Brigade
Andy Cusack AFSM
37 years’ volunteer service
Captain Mumbannar Fire Brigade
Gerry Neyenhuis
48 years’service
Ex Captain Wallington Fire Brigade
Bill Maltby
37 years’ volunteer service
Ex Captain Castlemaine Fire Brigade
Nevyn Jones AFSM
45 years’ volunteer service
Captain Moorooduc Fire Brigade
Tom Brodie AFSM
51 years’ volunteer service
Ex Captain Longwood Fire Brigade
Gary Lyttle AFSM
50 years’ volunteer service
Former President VFBV, Cardigan Fire Brigade
Graeme Jilbert
45 years’service
Swan Hill Fire Brigade
Mick Nunweek JP
34 years’service
Ex Captain Stawell Fire Brigade
PO Box 453 Mt Waverley 3149 .Unit 9, 24 Lakeside Drive Burwood East 3151.Te| 9886 114. Fax 9886 1618
2. 30 SECOND PRAYER FOR GOVERNMENT LEADERS.
“Heavenly Father,
We ask that you would give wisdom to the rulers in Federal, State and Local Government of our nation. Help them to rule well in truth, peace and honesty. Please protect them and their families and give them all the strength they need to stand firm against evil.
We bless them and may they be a blessing to others.
We ask this in Jesus’ Name. Amen”
3. WEEKLY PRAYER BULLETINS
These are being published by Victorian Parliamentary Prayer Network in the weeks leading to the election:
As the Victorian election is less than 1 month away would you please join me in the coming weeks to pray for God’s Blessing for this election? I will be sending you weekly prayer points for the election and the campaign based on the Lord’s Prayer divided into 4 sections. It will not be long and exhaustive but will be short and precise just as the Lord’s Prayer is.
PLEASE PRAY
Week 1 of The Lord’s Prayer
“Our Father in heaven, may your name be honoured in Victoria’s Parliament. May your kingdom come to our Parliament and may your will be done there just as it is done in heaven.”
Spend some time this week thanking God for the way Parliament was founded and that His name was established there. Ask that His name will continue and be established and honoured through this election.
Lynn Wilson Prayer Co-ordinator
WEEK 2 of The Lord’s Prayer
Please pray for this week.
“Give Victoria’s Parliament their daily needs and forgive them for their trespasses as we also forgive them.”
Spend some time in repentance for the sins and mistakes that have been made through our laws. Repent of ignorance concerning God’s Holy ways, and where we the Church have been slack in praying for our leaders.
3. WEEK 3 of The Lord’s Prayer: Praying for protection
“Lord, please protect all of our politician’s from temptation and deliver them from the evil one.”
Please pray that God will protect this election and that the evil one will have no power over it, and that truth and righteousness will reign. Pray also for the protection of all politicians and their families, for Parliament House and the future Government. Pray that the Lord will strengthen them against all temptation.
Please join us as we commit this Election to God. Thank God for His covenant grace and mercy that is always towards us. Ask God for healing and restoration for Victoria.
Inquiries to Lynn Wilson E: lynn.wilson4@bigpond.com M: 0407525335
Lynn Wilson, Victorian Parliamentary Prayer Network Co-ordinator
4.REPORT ON PRAYER MEETING FOR VICTORIAN ELECTIONS.
The Victorian Parliamentary Prayer Network held a public prayer meeting for the election at Parliament in Queens Hall on Sat 15 Nov. We shared inspiring worship honouring God in our Parliament and were inspired by three speakers:
- Dan Flynn from Australian Christian Lobby described 10 Christian forums- opportunities to meet candidates.
- Major Brendan Nottle from Melbourne Salvation Army described the Christian foundations of Melbourne.
- Robin Johnson from Beyond Here Ministry emphasised the need for us to pray for leaders.
We welcome your donation to cover these costs. Credit card or direct deposit facilities are available via http://www.riveroflifeconference.org/donate.php
Inquiries to Lynn Wilson, E: lynn.wilson4@bigpond.com M:0407525335
