Stuck on security

By Dion Teasdale
A WARBURTON wood cutter has accused the Bracks Government of treating him like a terrorist.
Mick Stormer, who runs a small commercial firewood business, said he was branded a security threat and a troublemaker in the lead up to the Community Cabinet event in the Yarra Valley in July.
Mr Stormer told the Mail last week that a Government security officer phoned and warned him to stay away from the Premier and his 19 Ministers during their visit to Healesville on 24 July.
The warning, Mr Stormer said, was unprovoked, and left him questioning the State Government’s ability to govern honesty and fairly.
While the Government has denied Mr Stormer’s accusations, a spokeswoman said Victoria Police officers responsible for the security of Government Ministers can contact Community Cabinet applicants.
However, Victoria Police have rejected the Government’s response, insisting it is not their role to prevent people from demonstrating at such events.
Mr Stormer said he applied in June to meet with Minister for Agriculture Bob Cameron during the Community Cabinet event to discuss commercial firewood collection licences.
He said he received a phone call after sending in his application informing him that his submission for a meeting had been unsuccessful.
Mr Stormer said he then received a second phone call, just half an hour later, from a man calling himself a cabinet security officer.
“He informed me that it was his job to ring all the unsuccessful applicants and ask them not to turn up on the day,” Mr Stormer said.
“He joked with me about the Government worrying that I might turn up and ‘shoot one of the clowns’.”
Mr Stormer said he had accepted that his application for a meeting with Mr Cameron was unsuccessful and only became angry after the phone call from the cabinet security officer.
“I’m just a wood cutter, not a bloody terrorist,” Mr Stormer said.
“Its wrong for the Government to treat people like this. It’s undemocratic and I feel completely insulted.”
When contacted by the Mail, a Bracks Government Community Cabinet spokeswoman rejected Mr Stormer’s accusations.
“Each submitter to Community Cabinet is treated with respect and consideration and provided with a hearing whenever possible,” she said.
However, the spokeswoman, who explained that security for Community Cabinet events was handled by members of Victoria Police, conceded it was possible Mr Stormer had received a phone call from a cabinet security officer.
“On occasions, (security) may include contacting various people in the community, including people who may have made applications to Cabinet,” she said.
A Victoria Police spokesman denied members of the force phoned people and warned them to stay away from Community Cabinet events.
“We don’t tell people whether they can turn up or not. It isn’t our role to stop people demonstrating,” he said.
Gembrook MP Tammy Lobato said she was concerned by Mr Stormer’s allegations and that she would investigate the matter.