Story from bnews

TRIAL BY FIRE

As the bush burns, an experienced firefighter is told he can battle the blazes for free,but he’ll never get a paid job with Mansfield DSE “because you’re a poof”.

Bnews 08 Feb 2007

by DOUG POLLARD

Mansfield resident Ken Campagnolo claims he is being excluded from a paid firefighting position because of his sexuality.

Campagnolo has been a member of a fire crew for the Department of Conservation & Natural Resources, and for Hancock Victorian Plantations, as well as a volunteer firefighter with the CFA. He has worked for the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) as a seasonal project firefighter, but for the last four years, he says they won’t consider him.

“When I asked my local manager he said ‘you’re welcome as a volunteer to fight fires for free, but you’ll never work for us because you’re a poof’,” says Campagnolo, who identifies as bisexual.

The last time he worked as a project fireman four years ago, he was outed by the same manager in front of co-workers, their wives and children, at the Christmas break-up party. When Santa handed out the kids’ Christmas presents, he also handed Campagnolo a Barbie doll.

Dozer driver Kevin Holland, who witnessed the event, said he – along with many others – wasn’t aware of Campagnolo’s sexuality beforehand. Holland says there has been a smear campaign, with rumours being spread that Campagnolo is lazy, which he says is untrue. “He’s a good worker,” said Holland.

However, when Campagnolo received notification that his application for paid seasonal work with the Mansfield DSAE was rejected, he queried it with the DSE. He received a response that claimed his application was rejected because of several shortcomings: undertaking unsafe work practices, inability to function as a team player and an unsatisfactory attitude.

A former employer, Jim Walker, District Forester with Hancocks, says there was no problem with Campagnolo’s work ethic. “We don’t take any notice of creed, religion, anything else: so long as you do your days work that’s all that matters to us, and he did his work well enough.”

Campagnolo said he also made a verbal complaint to the DSE’s head office regarding the comments made to him and his belief that he had been discriminated against on the basis of sexuality. He was told that his information would be passed on to a supervisor.

Jenny Singleton, DSE human resources director said: “Though DSE has not received an official complaint in this matter, any subsequent complaints we receive will be thoroughly investigated. DSE is an equal opportunity employer and treats any complaints of sexual discrimination very seriously.” bnews was unable to reach the manager who made the comments to Campagnolo.

Campagnolo says friends he worked alongside fighting fires still drop by for coffee and can’t understand why he can’t get a look-in. “I’ve got mates who are bitching they won’t hire this bloke we want working alongside us, and they’re hiring 20-year-olds with no experience who don’t know how to fall a tree, when you’ve got 10 years’ experience,” he said.