Australia’s bushfire crisis: Scott Morrison slammed for lack of support as nation burns

Scott Morrison will always be the Australian Prime Minister who played cricket while the country burned, writes Karen Matthews.

AS catastrophic fires raged along Australia’s east coast during the week, lives were lost and homes and livelihoods destroyed. But Prime Minister Scott Morrison had more important things on his mind.

Unlike both Victorian and New South Wales premiers, who visited fire-ravaged communities to show support, the PM was hosting a backyard game of cricket at Kirribilli House for the Australian and New Zealand teams.

It was an appalling look for a Prime Minister at a time when his country was in crisis. To make matters worse, he suggested fire victims would somehow draw inspiration from a game of cricket.

Given that so many lost everything other than the clothes on their backs during the fires — and it isn’t over yet — it will take a hell of a lot more than a game of cricket to lift the spirits of fire victims.

His statement drew withering online criticism, with one person referring to his comments as “sub-Trump”.

It was, in fact, the second time this Prime Minister had fallen short when the chips were down.

First was his family holiday shrouded in secrecy to Hawaii when fires were already raging on the east coast and the country was facing a diabolical bushfire season.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison (left) speaks with Paul and Melissa Churchman at their destroyed wildflower farm Sarsfield, Victoria.

People in Victoria's worst-hit bushfire spots are being encouraged to leave before conditions worsen.

No one seemed to know where Australia’s Prime Minister was or, for that matter, who was actually standing in for him while he was away.

His absence when the country was in dire straits drew widespread outrage. It wasn’t until two New South Wales firefighters were killed battling blazes at Buxton when their tanker rolled that our absentee PM was finally coaxed into returning.

Whether it was pressure from within his party or sensing a drop in popularity at the polls, his first job was to issue a groveling apology which, for many, was too little too late.

This week as devastated fire victims sifted through the ashes of all that remained of what they held dear, wept at the awful loss and wondered what the hell they would do next, it beggars belief that the man elected to run this country was so insensitive that he was playing cricket.

He should have been out there with the people showing genuine support, not tossing a ball across the manicured lawns of Kirribilli.

On Thursday, both New South Wales and Victoria were declared to be in a state of emergency.

In New South Wales at least seven people had been confirmed dead and 170 houses lost, while in Victoria, two people had been confirmed dead, 28 missing and 45 fires were still burning.

At the same time, the PM visited the fire-ravaged New South Wales town of Cobargo for a photo shoot. But when confronted by angry residents, instead of holding his ground, taking it on the chin and showing strength and support, he fled.

It was cringeworthy stuff, a Prime Minister filmed forcing people to shake his hand and running away when confronted.

Eventually these fires will either be extinguished or burn themselves out. Either way, the Federal and State Governments must address the issues of fuel reduction and proper forest management for all our sakes.

Those who do not believe such practices would have at least inhibited the intensity of some fires, need, like the PM, to get their heads out of the sand and start facing the bleeding obvious.

As for Mr Morrison, history has its own way of assessing and recording the deeds of Prime Ministers during their time in office.

But for me, Scott Morrison will always be the Australian Prime Minister who played cricket while the country burned.

Originally published as Australia’s bushfire crisis: Scott Morrison slammed for lack of support as nation burns