This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2019/dec/22/nsw-fires-live-updates-near-sydney-new-south-wales-bushfires-south-australia-victoria-latest-news
The article has changed 21 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| NSW fires live: PM concedes link between extreme weather and climate change but says Coalition has 'sensible' targets – latest | NSW fires live: PM concedes link between extreme weather and climate change but says Coalition has 'sensible' targets – latest |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| Australian prime minister Scott Morrison is back in the country, with Victoria and South Australia under renewed bushfire threat as NSW surveys damage from ‘catastrophic’ fire conditions on Saturday. Follow the latest news and updates | |
| Anthony Albanese will be up at 1pm. | |
| I imagine he wants Scott Morrison’s press conference to sit and marinate for a while, before he adds his two cents, given you know, the prime minister wants us all to be kinder to each other, and leave any division to the side - unless of course, you need to make your own political point. | |
| For example: | |
| Scott Morrison at the beginning of the press conference: | |
| Scott Morrison half way through the press conference: | |
| This ‘debate’ if you can call it that, given Chris Smith seems to have decided his job, now that he is returning to Sydney radio 2GB is just to yell over anyone who has a different view, or you know, the facts, sums up most of the country right now: | |
| Angus Taylor has also decided right now is the perfect time to put out a release on electricity prices coming down: | |
| a reduction in the average residential electricity retail price across the National Electricity Market (NEM) from FY2017-18 to 2018-19 of approximately 3 per cent, | |
| average annual residential electricity bills across the NEM have decreased by $65, or approximately 4 per cent, | |
| the most recent annual reduction in household bills of $65 is part of a longer-term trend that has seen bills fall by $209 in real terms since 2013-14, and | |
| average household bills across the NEM are at their lowest since 2013-14. | |
| (Which we knew they would, because a butt load of renewables have come onto the grid, which was anticipated for quite some time) | |
| So to quickly recap that press conference: | So to quickly recap that press conference: |
| Scott Morrison defended leaving the country to take a holiday (which he said he planned six weeks ago), having “made a promise to my kids” but said in hindsight, he would have made a different decision. (Morrison was due to return to work, as scheduled, tomorrow, December 23, according to what his office told the New Daily’s Samantha Maiden last week). | |
| He has “learnt lessons” including about how his office dealt with the media: | |
| After pointing back to the one comment he made in February linking climate change to worsening disasters “among other factors” for the majority of this (early) bushfire season, Morrison made an explicit point of joining the dots | After pointing back to the one comment he made in February linking climate change to worsening disasters “among other factors” for the majority of this (early) bushfire season, Morrison made an explicit point of joining the dots |
| But there will be NO change to Australia’s emissions reduction policy under his government. | But there will be NO change to Australia’s emissions reduction policy under his government. |
| Morrison also believes the time to talk about his holiday is in the past, and the time to talk about climate change is not now. | |
| On whether he believes he has shown leadership, Scott Morrison says: | On whether he believes he has shown leadership, Scott Morrison says: |
| On Labor’s proposal for tax breaks for volunteer firefighters who are unable to work while they deal with the bushfire emergency: | On Labor’s proposal for tax breaks for volunteer firefighters who are unable to work while they deal with the bushfire emergency: |
| Q: Labor wants compensation for volunteer firefighters. Is that something you are considering? | Q: Labor wants compensation for volunteer firefighters. Is that something you are considering? |
| Scott Morrison: | Scott Morrison: |
| Scott Morrison on why the government is not considering changing its climate change policy: | |
| We get back to climate policy – there will be NO change. | We get back to climate policy – there will be NO change. |
| Q: The government has been criticised for using carryover credits. Going forward after these fires, how can your government provide a more genuine commitment to making Australia a responsible global actor when it comes to reducing carbon emissions? | Q: The government has been criticised for using carryover credits. Going forward after these fires, how can your government provide a more genuine commitment to making Australia a responsible global actor when it comes to reducing carbon emissions? |
| Scott Morrison: | Scott Morrison: |
| People can expect my government to do what it promised to do, what it took to the last election. I know there are some who tried to make political points and score points over these issues in the midst of these disasters and that is disappointing. | People can expect my government to do what it promised to do, what it took to the last election. I know there are some who tried to make political points and score points over these issues in the midst of these disasters and that is disappointing. |
| I will do what I said I would do because that is how I am with the Australian people. I said we will meet our 26% emission reduction target. | I will do what I said I would do because that is how I am with the Australian people. I said we will meet our 26% emission reduction target. |
| Emissions under this government are on average 50 million tonnes less than they were under the previous government. | Emissions under this government are on average 50 million tonnes less than they were under the previous government. |
| Emissions have fallen over the last two years. Emissions are lower than at any time they were under the previous government. | Emissions have fallen over the last two years. Emissions are lower than at any time they were under the previous government. |
| We have had record investment in renewables in Australia and now, thankfully, as a result of policies the government has put in place we are also getting electricity prices down, some $65 a year. | We have had record investment in renewables in Australia and now, thankfully, as a result of policies the government has put in place we are also getting electricity prices down, some $65 a year. |
| And on top of that we are doing it without embracing the reckless job destroying and economy crunching targets that others are seeking to force upon us. | And on top of that we are doing it without embracing the reckless job destroying and economy crunching targets that others are seeking to force upon us. |
| I don’t think that is a balanced approach. We will take a responsible approach to taking action on climate change. | I don’t think that is a balanced approach. We will take a responsible approach to taking action on climate change. |
| We are taking action and we will continue to take action. We are part of a global action on the commitments we have made, we are meeting. | We are taking action and we will continue to take action. We are part of a global action on the commitments we have made, we are meeting. |
| We are meeting and we are beating. So I do not accept the suggestion that Australia is not carrying its weight. We are carrying our weight. | We are meeting and we are beating. So I do not accept the suggestion that Australia is not carrying its weight. We are carrying our weight. |
| We are meeting and beating our target and there are very few countries who can say that. | We are meeting and beating our target and there are very few countries who can say that. |
| Q: You said you have learned some lessons from this past week. What are they? | Q: You said you have learned some lessons from this past week. What are they? |
| Morrison: I think I have already outlined that in my earlier remarks. | Morrison: I think I have already outlined that in my earlier remarks. |
| Question: You were critical of the Victorian police commissioner when she went to dinner during the Black Saturday bushfires. | Question: You were critical of the Victorian police commissioner when she went to dinner during the Black Saturday bushfires. |
| Scott Morrison: | Scott Morrison: |
| This is not exactly a glowing defence of the deputy prime minister. | This is not exactly a glowing defence of the deputy prime minister. |
| Q: Why were questions referred to your office; why couldn’t McCormack simply say he was acting? | |
| Morrison: | Morrison: |
| Question: But you knew about these catastrophic fire conditions. Are you sorry to the residents? | Question: But you knew about these catastrophic fire conditions. Are you sorry to the residents? |
| Morrison: I already said that. I already said it. | Morrison: I already said that. I already said it. |
| Q: Do you believe that the release of the information about this was handled poorly and the public needed to know? | |
| Morrison: The deputy minister was the acting prime minister and each time I have taken private family leave as prime minister I followed exactly the same process. There was no change. | |
| On my earlier leaves no statement was issued. I took private family leave and no objections were raised by the press on those occasions but it is something we will rectify. | On my earlier leaves no statement was issued. I took private family leave and no objections were raised by the press on those occasions but it is something we will rectify. |
| (No one knew he was leaving the country). | |
| Question: Where have you been and why the secrecy? | Question: Where have you been and why the secrecy? |
| Scott Morrison: I was in Hawaii, a trip with my family, a trip planned seven weeks ago and when I take family leave, it is a private family time. | Scott Morrison: I was in Hawaii, a trip with my family, a trip planned seven weeks ago and when I take family leave, it is a private family time. |