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Australia fires live: one dead in NSW and six missing in Victoria in Australian bushfires – latest updates
Scott Morrison announces recovery effort with ‘months to go’ in bushfire crisis in NSW and Victoria – 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 updates
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 updates
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)
My colleague Josh Taylor will have more for you on this in a moment, but Craig Kelly went on BBC radio a little earlier and said there was no link between climate change and these fires.
On the ad Scott Morrison’s office released yesterday (complete with that ridiculous backing track), Morrison says:
He was representing the government when he said it.
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:
Labor’s Catherine King, who was also being interviewed, explained that Kelly was on the far right.
But the point, Scott Morrison says, is that we all keep working together:
Someone might need to let Scott Morrison know, given his comments this morning:
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:
This is distressing – but this is just some of what people are dealing with, and will have to continue dealing with over the next few weeks and months, so it is important.
Asked whether the government can still deliver its promised surplus, Scott Morrison says:
Victorian authorities say that everyone who wants to get out of Mallacoota should be able to evacuate today.
That’s not an answer, you may note.
There are also supplies coming into the town, for those who choose to stay.
Samantha Maiden gets Linda Reynolds to admit that she was also overseas on holidays during this crisis (it took quite a few repeated questions)
Richard Marles on the other hand, did not beat around the bush:
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.
Anthony Albanese held a press conference at the same time as Scott Morrison. As per the transcript, he was asked about Morrison’s leadership, and Shane Fitzsimmons’ criticisms and said he was “determined, during this crisis, to not focus on Scott Morrison”, but the people impacted by the fires.
Maiden: So you haven’t been out of the country?
But he did also mention this:
Reynolds: I have had a holiday with my family.
People in an area near Mt Buffalo have been told to get out before it gets too dangerous to leave.
Maiden: Was that in Bali?
The area, which stretches from Whorouly South in the north down to the Rose River in the south, is west of an area surrounding Lake Buffalo which the Country Fire Authority ordered evacuated overnight.
Reynolds: Yes it was. I spent a few days with my family yes.
A bushfire near Lake Buffalo is burning out of control and there are reports of embers falling into the area around Dandongadale, to the south of the lake, the CFA said.
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 CFA said the fire was moving north and heavy smoke over the entire area would make driving dangerous.
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.
They had about six hours to leave, the authority said in a warning issued at 10.47am.
On whether or not Scott Morrison will talk to allies about what they are doing, he again uses the “meet and beat” line:
People in the Buffalo River Valley should use the Buffalo River Rd to drive towards Myrtleford, those in South Whorouly and the Carboor area should use the Snow Rd to drive to Wangaratta, the CFA said.
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:
Meanwhile, fresh watch and act warnings have been issued in some of the areas that have already been hit by fires. These include Mallacoota and the Upper Murray area, including Corryong and Walwa.
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.
The last bit on Scott Morrison, on why he thinks there has been criticism of his response to this emergency:
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.
No safe place in Eden
He also defends what has been done to date – and says the government had acted as quickly as it needed to.
The fire has crossed the Victorian border.
Scott Morrison has also once again defended his handling of the crisis, and his leadership.
Residents are being told to move on futher to Bega or Merimbula - the wharf is no longer considered safe.
The prime minister has also ruled out a disaster recovery levy to help pay for the recovery.
Scott Morrison has again defended the funding his government provided to the nation’s firefighting capabilities ahead of this crisis.
Things are moving very quickly at Eden:
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:
