Key facts
- A bullet etched with "RAT" and a firefighter ID number was found on a minister's car.
- Minister Paul Edbrooke expressed fear for his family's safety following the discovery.
- The United Firefighters Union has been identified as a source of aggressive threats on social media.
- The union is in a dispute with Fire Rescue Victoria over an enterprise bargaining agreement.
Victoria's emergency services minister, Paul Edbrooke, reported finding a bullet etched with the word "RAT" and his former firefighter ID number on his car on Saturday. Edbrooke stated he was shocked and horrified by the discovery, which he described as a death threat, and expressed concerns for his family's safety and that of other MPs. He indicated that the firefighter ID number would not be widely known and that aggressive threats on social media had come from the United Firefighters Union. The union is currently in a dispute with Fire Rescue Victoria, an agency Edbrooke oversees, over an enterprise bargaining agreement and is campaigning against the state's Labor government.