维多利亚州反腐委员会（IBAC）公布历时8年的调查报告，共120页，详细记录了前州长丹尼尔·安德鲁斯政府与消防员工会之间的一系列秘密交易[1]。虽然调查未发现正式腐败指控，但报告显示政府高官多次向工会领导人彼得·马歇尔屈服，通过秘密谈判、董事会人事变动和对持异议官员施压等方式进行权力运作[1]。
2014年选举中，消防员工会部署了720名消防员到109个投票点支持工党[1]。2016年3月，安德鲁斯授权特别部长盖文·詹宁斯与马歇尔进行秘密谈判，将应急服务部长简·加雷特排除在外[1]。4月12日，詹宁斯向安德鲁斯发短信表示"握手已发生——完成了"[1]。马歇尔后来在2019年被截获的电话中称该协议"是与f---in' 詹宁斯在后房间谈判的"[1]。
政府随后采取了一系列行动推进这一协议。2016年6月，CFA董事会被解散，通过不透明程序任命了新的董事会[1]。加雷特在同月辞去内阁职务，拒绝认可该协议[1]。2018年5月，司法部强行指示MFB停止使用一名马歇尔不满的外部律师[1]。报告还披露，马歇尔在2016年5月深夜向詹宁斯发送了多条短信，时间分别为凌晨1时15分、1时16分、1时20分和5时25分[1]。托尼·贝茨与马歇尔在2016年5月至9月间交换了381条短信[1]。2019年6月，为获得横议员关键投票支持，马歇尔向其亲属提供了工会职位[1]。
Victoria's anti-corruption watchdog has released a bombshell 120-page report following an eight-year investigation into undisclosed arrangements between the state government under former Premier Daniel Andrews and the firefighters union [1]. While the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) found no formal corruption charges, the inquiry meticulously documented how senior government officials repeatedly capitulated to union leader Peter Marshall through clandestine negotiations, board restructuring, and pressure on dissenting officials [1].
The investigation revealed a pattern of preferential treatment beginning with the 2014 state election, when the firefighters union deployed 720 members to 109 polling stations in support of the Labor Party [1]. In March 2016, Andrews authorized Special Minister Gavin Jennings to conduct secret negotiations with Marshall, deliberately excluding Emergency Services Minister Jane Garrett from the discussions [1]. A text message sent by Jennings to Andrews on April 12, 2016—"The handshake has happened—done!"—confirmed the completion of undisclosed arrangements [1]. Marshall later characterized the deal in an intercepted 2019 phone call, stating that the "agreement was negotiated with f---in' Jennings in the back room" [1].
The report documented a series of questionable government actions that followed. The CFA board was dissolved in June 2016 through an opaque appointment process, and Garrett resigned from cabinet that same month, refusing to endorse the arrangement [1]. In May 2018, the Department of Justice issued a directive forcing the Metropolitan Fire Brigade to cease using external legal counsel that Marshall opposed [1]. Text message records showed Jennings sending messages to Marshall at 1:15 a.m., 1:16 a.m., 1:20 a.m., and 5:25 a.m. in May 2016 alone [1], while union figure Tony Betts exchanged 381 text messages with Marshall between May and September 2016 [1]. In June 2019, Marshall allocated union positions to relatives of a crossbench member whose vote was deemed crucial for government support [1].