Western Victoria MP James Purcell says he would not support the state government’s bill to split the CFA in its current form, potentially derailing the plan.
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The Vote 1 Jobs MP’s vote is likely to be crucial to pass the plan in the upper house.
The proposal would see paid and volunteer firefighters split, creating a new organisation, Fire Rescue Victoria.
“We’re certainly not convinced at this stage that it’s in the best interest of the volunteers of the region,” the Port Fairy-based Mr Purcell said.
“Certainly at the moment, I wouldn't be supporting the bill in its current form.”
A draft version of the bill was introduced to the lower house on May 24.
Mr Purcell said he had visited integrated fire brigades in Portland and Warrnambool and would spend more time visiting as many local CFA groups as he could.
He said he would base his decision on what those volunteers told him, and he would take concerns to a meeting with the state government next week.
“The volunteers are the ones who are going to be possibly negatively affected through this,” Mr Purcell said.
“Paid firefighters may be positively but not negatively affected.”
All crossbenchers, including representatives from the Greens, the Sex Party, Democratic Labour and the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers parties, said they were yet to decide whether or not to support the bill.
Sex Party MP Fiona Patten said change was necessary, but more detail was needed
