It has been labelled "the dirtiest political trick" in the book but the Victorian opposition remains proud of voting down the government's CFA bill, despite breaking a long-standing parliamentary deal.
Liberal MPs Bernie Finn and Craig Ondarchie were given a pairing on Good Friday for religious reasons while the government's Country Fire Authority bill was debated in a marathon sitting, which started on Thursday about 7pm.
But the pair walked back into the Legislative Council at the 11th hour to vote down the legislation.
The pairing agreement meant two Labor MPs - Agriculture Minister Jaala Pulford and Small Business Minister Philip Dalidakis - had already abstained from the vote.
The bill was defeated 19-18.
But that didn't deter shadow Attorney-General John Pesutto claiming the bill's defeat a victory, saying a "leadership group" had hatched the plan.
"We are proud of what we've done in stopping Daniel Andrews' efforts to try and destroy the great work that CFA volunteers do," he told reporters on Friday.
Reason MP Fiona Patten, who voted in support of the bill, labelled it "the dirtiest political trick I have ever seen in my 20 years around parliaments".
Labor's most senior upper house MP Gavin Jennings told reporters on Friday: "The death knell of this legislation was when they smugly returned to the parliament to betray parliamentary convention."
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