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Australia fires live: one dead in NSW and six missing in Victoria in Australian bushfires – latest updates Australia fires live: one dead in NSW and six missing in Victoria in Australian bushfires – latest updates
(32 minutes later)
NSW RFS commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons says he was frustrated to learn of ADF deployment from the media. Follow all today’s live news and latest updatesNSW RFS commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons says he was frustrated to learn of ADF deployment from the media. Follow all today’s live news and latest updates
Doesn’t look like we have an Auslan interpreter at this press conference. Ultimately though, its the commentary which is to blame, according to Scott Morrison (who, for someone who is not attributing blame, brings this up several times)
The government should probably start considering that. On the ad Scott Morrison’s office released yesterday (complete with that ridiculous backing track), Morrison says:
The former AFP commissioner Andrew Colvin will head up the national bushfire recovery agency, which will report to minister, David Littleproud. On whether or not the government was prepared – because, you know, the prime minister and the defence minister were out of the country, Scott Morrison says:
Scott Morrison says the commonwealth services will be working in conjunction with what the states are doing, but he won’t be seeking matching contributions from the states for the commonwealth funding. But the point, Scott Morrison says, is that we all keep working together:
The government is also announcing mental health support: On the blame that the Greens have been getting for this fire crisis (and Scott Morrison himself has raised the issue of hazard reduction at every opportunity, most notably when asked about the government’s climate change policies), Morrison launches into a monologue on blame:
“Those who have been in some of these areas will know that this fire and the haze and the fear and the quite extreme conditions will have had a profound impact on the mental health and wellbeing of people in these communities, not just in those areas where people are resident but people that would have been there during these fires. Asked whether the government can still deliver its promised surplus, Scott Morrison says:
“It’s important we are addressing the mental health needs as well as the many other health needs that will need to be addressed. That’s not an answer, you may note.
“This organisation will be stood up for at least two years and we will be able to talk more about its funding arrangements in the not-too-distant future after cabinet considers the formal proposals, which are coming forward and have already been considered by the national security committee. Samantha Maiden gets Linda Reynolds to admit that she was also overseas on holidays during this crisis (it took quite a few repeated questions)
Our neighbours are offering us more defence support. Reynolds: Like many of my colleagues I have certainly spent time with my family over Christmas, but throughout that time I can assure you that I have been regularly on the phone with the prime minister, with Minister Littleproud constantly.
Scott Morrison: Maiden: So you haven’t been out of the country?
Scott Morrison says he’ll join the NSW premier, Gladys Berejiklian, and NSW RFS commissioner, Shane Fitzsimmons, later today. Reynolds: I have had a holiday with my family.
You’ll know why eyebrows would be heading a little skyward at that if you have followed along with the relations between the two governments over the past 24 hours. But this is about reassuring the public they are working well together, despite the political games that have been played. Maiden: Was that in Bali?
The prime minister is in Canberra, holding a press conference updating on what the ADF has been doing. Reynolds: Yes it was. I spent a few days with my family yes.
Chinooks are also involved in evacuations. So that is the prime minister (Hawaii), the defence minister (Bali) and the NSW emergency services minister (Europe) who all left the country this bushfire season
The ADF is also working to clear roads as the recovery begins in some areas. In terms of “meet and beat”, apart from the accounting trick of using the Kyoto credits there is also the issue of the amount of carbon these fires have released. You burn all that land, including the soil, and it will have a fairly significant impact.
Just before the prime minister speaks, we’ll update you on what has happened so far this morning On whether or not Scott Morrison will talk to allies about what they are doing, he again uses the “meet and beat” line:
A 47-year-old man suffered a heart attack and died helping a friend prepare his Batlow property against fire The government continues to rewrite history on its position on climate change and how it has linked to disasters. Asked whether Australia will exert diplomatic pressure on its allies – such as the US – to do more on emissions reductions, Scott Morrison says:
Four firefighters have been injured overnight And before the PMO calls me, the total of this “always accepts” before this crisis, was pointing to a statement Morrison delivered in February, which mentioned climate change “among a number of other factors” as being to blame for worsening natural disasters.
Hundreds of homes have been lost in the southern NSW fires The deputy prime minister, at the beginning of this emergency, said it was only “raving inner-city lunatics” who were making the link between climate change and the worsening bushfire season, which was backed up by several members of the government.
More than 35,000 people remain without power in that same area He also defends what has been done to date – and says the government had acted as quickly as it needed to.
Canberra’s air quality is once again the worst in the world Scott Morrison has also once again defended his handling of the crisis, and his leadership.
The NSW premier, Gladys Berejiklian, says NSW is facing something it has never seen before The prime minister has also ruled out a disaster recovery levy to help pay for the recovery.
The NSW RFS commissioner, Shane Fitzsimmons, has expressed his “disappointment” the prime minister didn’t tell him about the additional ADF deployment ahead of the media announcement, although he welcomes it. The premier was informed. Scott Morrison has again defended the funding his government provided to the nation’s firefighting capabilities ahead of this crisis.
The defence minister, Linda Reynolds, was conceded communication could have been better. Things are moving very quickly at Eden:
Essential Energy say 35,600 customers remain without power in southern NSW, a situation which is likely to remain for quite a few days. It looks like Scott Morrison is trying to walk back some of the damage from yesterday’s “commonwealth stepped in, because NSW wasn’t asking”, which went out to some media outlets yesterday.
Asked about NSW RFS commissioner Shane Fitzsimmon’s frustration at not being told about the ADF deployment, he says: