Victorian minister says bullet etched with 'RAT' left on his car is a death threat

Victoria's emergency services minister, Paul Edbrooke, says he fears for his family's safety after a bullet etched with the word "RAT" and his old firefighter number was left on his car on Saturday.

The Herald Sun first reported the discovery on Monday. Edbrooke had been speaking with members of the community and returned to his vehicle to find the bullet sitting on the bonnet.

In an interview with ABC Radio Melbourne, the Labor minister said he was "shocked" and "horrified", particularly in light of the alleged attack on federal MP Helen Haines last week. There is no suggestion that the two incidents are connected.

"We enjoy a great democracy in Australia and Victoria," Edbrooke said. "I love getting out in my community." He said he speaks with people face to face all the time, and that finding the bullet after one such outing left him stunned.

He said the discovery raised unsettling questions, especially because his children drive the same car. "You start thinking, 'Am I being followed? Who knows I'm here? Am I being surveilled?'" he said. He described the message as unmistakable: "that's a death threat, a bullet with my firefighter ID number on it and the word 'rat'."

Edbrooke said the ID number was "very specific to a firefighter" and would not be known to the wider public. He also said the only people sending him "aggressive threats" and abuse on social media were members of the United Firefighters Union.

The union is currently pursuing action in the Fair Work Commission against Fire Rescue Victoria, an agency Edbrooke oversees, over the firefighters' enterprise bargaining agreement. The parties have been unable to resolve the agreement since 2021.

The union has also been campaigning against the state Labor government. It has vowed to run an expensive advertising campaign and to staff polling booths with firefighters, and it has authorised material urging voters to put the party last in next month's election. It is also planning a members' meeting on whether to disaffiliate from the Victorian Labor party altogether.

Edbrooke said he would not be cowed. "I'm not going to be intimidated by this," he said, adding that he thinks of his family and of other MPs, and of what happened in Wangaratta last week.

He said Australians can go to a polling booth, have a snag and talk with people, and can disagree politically while still having a chat. "I'm afraid that with actions like this, we start losing that," he said, warning it could lead to MPs needing more security and being less available to the public.