Scott Morrison returns from Hawaii holiday amid fires crisis
The Prime Minister is back home from a controversial family holiday in Hawaii after apparently getting the last seat on a flight out.
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Scott Morrison has touched down in Australia after getting the last seat on a flight out and cutting a family holiday short to respond to the bushfire crisis.
He landed in Australia just before 8pm in Sydney after taking a Hawaiian Airlines flight from Honolulu, ABC News reports.
Despite the intense scrutiny around his holiday, Mr Morrison seems to have slipped past a waiting media pack.
Plenty on social media are questioning if the PM is really back because the media at the airport didn’t see him. PM’s office has confirmed he’s back. Maybe he was escorted out another way, maybe he had some duty free shopping to do first...I don’t know. But he is back.
— Peter van Onselen (@vanOnselenP) December 21, 2019
The prime minister is expected to visit Rural Fire Service headquarters over the weekend and had been just this morning spotted in a lift at a Waikiki hotel.
Earlier today acting PM Michael McCormack confirmed that Mr Morrison was on his way home.
“People understand everybody needs a holiday. People understand Scott Morrison has worked hard this year and we have delivered a lot of infrastructure, a lot of services, provided tax cuts,” Mr McCormack told reporters.
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“It’s the time when most Australians take a break and generally, one time a year or another, over the course of the 12 month period, everybody takes a break and if they don’t, well, they should because we do need to recharge your batteries and re-energise and get ready for the year ahead.
“2020 is going to be a very busy and productive time. I’m looking forward to it, I know Scott
Morrison is looking for to it.
“He will go on providing that leadership Australia needs and I have every respect and faith he will do that. He is on his way back at the moment and that is a good thing.”
This morning Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese criticised the Coalition’s handling of Mr Morrison’s family holiday to Hawaii.
“For a while (Deputy PM) Michael McCormack’s office would not even confirm he was acting Prime Minister,” Mr Albanese told reporters.
“I find it quite extraordinary that the usual protocols of the Prime Minister saying he is going on leave, how long he would go for and who would be acting in his absence have not been followed and, indeed, media inquiries were met with misinformation, at best.
“This is a government that does not like scrutiny. It hides from it. It hides from transparency. And that is not good enough.”
MORE PHOTOS FROM SCOMO’S TRIP
His return comes as more pictures of Mr Morrison on holiday in Hawaii emerged, showing the Australian leader sitting at a beach bar after announcing his intention to return to Australia.
A picture shared by NSW teacher Ben Parsons appeared to show the PM sitting at a beach bar with his wife Jenny, looking relaxed and wearing shorts and a t-shirt.
And while Mr Morrison remains in Hawaii, former PM Tony Abbott was spotted in Bargo volunteering for the Rural Fire Service.
Josh Crawford posted a photo on Facebook with the ex-PM, saying: “Ran into this fella at bargo BP heading into the fire front... good on him.”
PM Scott Morrison has just been spotted in the lift of a Waikiki hotel (about 7am Saturday morning Canberra time) meaning he will struggle to return to Australia today
— Annika Smethurst (@annikasmethurst) December 20, 2019
— Annika Smethurst (@annikasmethurst) December 20, 2019
@ScottMorrisonMP sighted a very short time ago (Fri 20/12 7pm) by my uncle in Hawaii. Looks like he's in a real hurry to get back!!! #auspol #ScoMo #bushfires #Scummo #bushfires #AustraliaBurns #wherethebloodyhellareya #whereisScoMo #WheresScotty #AUSTRALIANBUSHFIRES pic.twitter.com/0m9M76hrIc
— Ben Parsons (@parso81) December 20, 2019
Earlier, another image appeared of the Prime Minister with a group of Australian tourists, an idyllic ocean backdrop behind them.
“Not in my wildest dream did I ever imagine I would have the opportunity to share a few bevvies and chat about many things with the Prime Minister of Australia,” the woman who posted it said in the caption.
“Contrary to belief, he’s actually a bit of a legend.”
She added the hashtags #wherethebloodyhellareya and #itsonscomostab.
At the time it was posted, Mr Morrison’s office still had not confirmed where he was. It would only say he was on leave and overseas with his family.
Mr Morrison has defended his family holiday to Hawaii during the bushfire emergency, saying it was arranged some time ago.
But he has been criticised for going on leave as intense blazes burned across the country.
“I deeply regret any offence caused to any of the many Australians affected by the terrible bushfires by my taking leave with family at this time,” Mr Morrison said on Friday.
“I have been receiving regular updates on the bushfires disaster as well as the status of the search for and treatment of the victims of the White Island tragedy.” Two volunteer firefighters were killed in a vehicle turnover near Buxton, south west of Sydney, on Thursday night.
“Given these most recent tragic events, I will be returning to Sydney from leave as soon as can be arranged,” Mr Morrison said.
He then talked to 2GB radio yesterday about why he had decided to return to Australia.
“That (Hawaii) is sometimes where we go privately for our holidays. We spend a lot of time in Australia on our holidays as well,” Mr Morrison told 2GB radio.
“We had planned to spend it down the South Coast as we usually do, but we had to bring it forward because of those commitments we had in India and Japan. So we had to tell the girls we wouldn’t be spending as much time down there, so in return I tried to give them a bit of a nice surprise and take them here.
“I think that’s what dads try and do if they can, when they’ve been working hard all year. I know there are lots of dads and mums out there who’ve been working hard all year try to treat their kids at this time of year, and that’s what I was trying to do. It’s just unfortunate it’s come at such an awful time, particularly for those living in and around Sydney and NSW.
“And it’s just devastating to be here and seeing what’s happening there, so I’m pleased to be returning.
“These events are just horrendous. If it was possible not to be where I was this week, well, maybe, but this has been arranged some time ago, and that’s just how it was,” Mr Morrison said on radio.
“I’ll be coming back as soon as I can. It’s not easy to get back, but I will as soon as I can.
“I know Australians will understand this, and they’ll be pleased I’m coming back, I’m sure.
“But they know that, you know, I don’t hold a hose mate, and I don’t sit in a control room. The brave people who do that are doing that job.”
His wife and daughters will remain in Hawaii.
- With AAP
Originally published as Scott Morrison returns from Hawaii holiday amid fires crisis