Environment Minister Matt Kean a rural firey ‘hose poser’
The state environment minister who sparked a Coalition Cabinet rift with his comments linking climate change to the fire crisis has never fought a bushfire despite signing up as a Rural Fire Service volunteer three years ago.
NSW
Don't miss out on the headlines from NSW. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- Kean must explain 35pc emissions reduction plan
- Environment minister’s climate comments shot down
- State energy Minister Matt Kean says coal is here to stay
NSW Environment Minister Matt Kean has never fought a bushfire despite signing up as a volunteer with the Rural Fire Service three years ago.
The MP for Hornsby, who has blamed climate change for the state’s bushfire emergency, went through the induction for training and safety in 2016, and says he’s up-to-date with all his annual training and competencies, and signed up to “make sure I was available to support the community if there was a fire”.
“I’ve been involved in a hazard reduction burn, I’m ready to go if needed,” he said.
“As the member for Hornsby, it’s well known as the bushland shire with the ever-present threat of bushfire. I’ve completed all my training including my annual competencies, which I’ve recently done.”
He’s posted videos of himself doing the training on his MP Facebook page, but some unkind locals have dubbed him the “fairweather firefighter” and compared him unfavourably to former PM Tony Abbott, who has been deployed many times fighting fires with his Davidson RFS brigade.
“Tony actually fights fires and never used the RFS as a photo shoot to improve his image,” one local commented.
Asked why hadn’t been out fighting fires, Mr Kean said: “I haven’t had a chance to get there. Touch wood there hasn’t been a fire in Hornsby.”
His Hornsby brigade is an active team.
Last week they were helping out on the firefront on Mangrove Mountain and Gospers Mountain, as well as the recent South Turramurra fire last month.
“We’ve had crews out around the clock putting in backburns and protecting property in an effort to contain what is now a 185,980 ha fire,” the Hornsby Rural Fire Brigade posted last month.
Mr Abbott has a low-key approach to his volunteer fighting, but he has travelled far and wide with the Davidson RFS Brigade battling blazes.
In August he was fighting with his team at West Head, in September he was up on the frontline at Tenterfield and last year he fought at Lemon Tree Passage in the state’s north.
In 2017 he ditched parliament and helped save a house in his electorate of Warringah.
During his first month as PM in October 2013, Mr Abbott worked a night shift with the Davidson Brigade and helped with a backburning operation near Bilpin.
While Opposition Leader he delayed his holidays to help fight fires in Nowra.