Bullet Marked "RAT" Left on Minister Paul Edbrooke's Car Amid Union Dispute

Victoria's emergency services minister, Labor MP Paul Edbrooke, said on Monday "I'm not going to be intimidated by this" after a bullet etched with the word "RAT" was left on his car. The bullet also carried his old firefighter identification number, according to The Guardian.

The bullet was left on Saturday. Edbrooke found it on the bonnet of his car after speaking with members of the community, the Guardian reported. He told ABC Radio Melbourne he was "shocked" and "horrified" by the discovery, and said his children drive the car. The Herald Sun was the first to report the incident.

Edbrooke said his firefighter ID number was very specific to a firefighter and would not be known by the broader community. He oversees Fire Rescue Victoria, the state's fire service, and described the incident as "a new low" in comments reported by the ABC. He said he fears for his family's safety.

The incident comes during a long-running dispute. Fire Rescue Victoria and the United Firefighters Union have been unable to resolve the enterprise bargaining agreement, the contract that sets firefighters' pay and conditions, since 2021. The union is taking action against the agency in the Fair Work Commission, the national workplace tribunal.

The union has also turned to politics. It has vowed to run an advertising campaign and to staff polling booths with firefighters, and it has authorised material urging voters to put Labor last in next month's state election. The union is also planning a members' meeting to consider disaffiliating from the Victorian Labor party, which would mean cutting its formal ties to the party.

Edbrooke said the only people from whom he was receiving aggressive threats and abuse on social media were members of the United Firefighters Union.