Scott Morrison’s message to firey after RFS denies claim Paul Parker was sacked for rant against PM
Scott Morrison has weighed into the controversy surrounding a NSW Rural Fire Service firefighter, who claimed he was sacked after issuing a verbal attack on the Prime Minister.
National
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Scott Morrison has weighed into the controversy surrounding a NSW Rural Fire Service firefighter, who claimed he was sacked after issuing a verbal attack on the Prime Minister during the bushfire crisis.
As the NSW RFS today denied Paul Parker’s claims made on The Project last night, Mr Morrison told reporters in Melbourne today he was pleased to know he was not fired from his job.
Paul Parker, whose remarks landed him a never-ending tab at his local pub, claimed on live TV he was stood down by the NSW RFS for his “allegations and foul language” against Mr Morrison.
In early January, Mr Parker accused the Prime Minister of inadequately supporting volunteer firefighters.
“Are you from the media? Tell the Prime Minister to go and get f---ed from Nelligen. We really enjoy doing this sh*t, f---head,” he said at the time, referring to his hometown in the message.
Mr Morrison also had a message for Mr Parker.
“There should never be any question whether he should have been fired or not. Of course they shouldn’t. But the RFS have confirmed he wasn’t. And I’m pleased about that.,” he said.
“Look, to Paul, I say this, I understand Paul was feeling incredibly exhausted, and incredibly drained by those events and he was working his tail off defending his community.”
Mr Morrison also said Mr Parker’s reaction was based on comments that were “misreported”.
During his TV interview, Mr Parker conceded he was “not a political person at all”, but said Mr Morrison’s comments over whether or not the firefighters should be paid had “fired [him] up”.
“And his direct comment that we enjoy doing the job. Well, as I said, ScoMo, we don’t enjoy doing this sh*t. It p---ed me off.
“ScoMo, when are you going to start fessing up and doing what you say you’re doing in parliament?,” Mr Parker said.
Mr Morrison responded to this today by saying: “What I said at that time, I never said. Never said. Never said that firefighters enjoyed doing this.
“What I said, and this was misreported at the time, what I said was firefighters would be out there defending their communities, they want to be out there defending their communities when their community were at risk.
“And all firefighters I met, as hard as it is, of course you don’t want out there.
“They prefer not to be having to save their town, but on that night, that was their job.
“And you couldn’t have stopped them from being out there and defending their community. And so, that’s what I said at the time. It was completely misrepresented. There was a lot of things that were misrepresented over the summer.
“There was a bit of a pile-on.”
Mr Morrison also said he had “thick skin and work to do”.
“We’re going to rebuild these bushfire-affected areas and we’re going to get people into homes and keep growing our economy, despite the threats of coronavirus or the many other things that we have to get over the top of, the drought and all of these challenges,” he said.
But as Australians, we will get over there. I said at the election, if you have a go, you’re going to get a go.”
In his TV appearance alongside his wife Tanya, Mr Parker was asked whether he was taken off duties due to exhaustion.
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But the volunteer firefighter claimed that was not the case.
“The message I got was about time you brought the truck back because we were about to send the police to go look for you. And then there were further comments with gestures and arm movements saying that I’m finished. It’s all over,” he told The Project.
“Another captain from another brigade within Batemans Bay came out and I asked him the question, I said: ‘What’s going on?’ He said: ‘You’re finished because of your allegations and foul language against the PM of the country while representing the RFS’.
“Didn’t know you could get sacked from a volunteer organisation but apparently you can.”
A spokesperson from the NSW Rural Fire Service told News Corp today: “The NSW RFS is aware of reports concerning the status of volunteer member Paul Parker from the Nelligen area.
“We can confirm Paul remains a member of the NSW RFS and has not been dismissed.”
On Saturday, it emerged that a GoFundMe page had been set up by Mr Parker’s neighbours in a bid to help him rebuild his house which had been damaged by the fires.
“Paul hasn’t been able to work, and therefore has not generated an income, due to his volunteering with the Rural Fire Service,” the page read.
“Please help donate to Paul, so that he can rebuild his own life whilst still protecting the community that he loves.”
More than $2000 of a $5000 target has been raised so far.