Emergency Services Minister’s holiday could have ended his career

Emergency Services Minister David Elliott had been dealing with bushfires for 112 days straight before jetting off to Europe, but his decision to take a holiday while the state was burning was a huge mistake, writes John Rolfe.

• Minister jets off to Europe as NSW burns
• Missing minister returning from Europe

What on earth was David ­Elliott thinking? For the NSW Emergency Services Minister to hop on a plane to the other side of the world when so much of the state was on fire was a huge mistake.

Had he not noticed the reaction to the Prime Minister’s Hawaiian ­vacation?

“Bushfire-affected communities and firefighters are always at the front of my mind during this difficult time in NSW,” Elliott said last week before heading off on a holiday to France then England. “I will continue to ­receive two briefings each day from the RFS Commissioner (Shane Fitzsimmons). If the bushfire situation should demand it, I will return home.”

Emergency Services Minister David Elliott has cut his holiday short. Picture: James Gourley/AAP Image

But it wasn’t until he got off a flight to London on Tuesday night our time and heard from Fitzsimmons that he decided the situation did in fact ­demand that he come home.

“In light of the escalating damage toll to the south coast and the tragic loss of a further two civilians and one RFS volunteer, I have decided to ­return to Australia to stand with our selfless volunteer firefighters and bushfire affected communities as we get through this period of devastating loss,” Elliott said in a statement.

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Hours before that statement was issued, Gladys Berejiklian made her feelings about Elliott’s absence clear.

Speaking from Rural Fire Service headquarters, the Premier said: “Every resource that’s necessary is here. I’ve been on deck the whole time and I intend to continue to be.”

As one state government minister told me, it shouldn’t be forgotten that Elliott had been dealing with the fires for 112 days straight prior to going on holiday.

That is a long stretch.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian (left) made her feelings clear. Picture: Bianca De Marchi/AAP Image

But it’s not a good enough reason to leave the country when the state is facing fires that Acting Emergency Services Minister Anthony Roberts this week said were “unprecedented”.

As Scott Morrison repeatedly said in defence of his holiday, it wasn’t his job to “hold a hose”. Nor would that have been Elliott’s role.

Such comments oversimplify the situation. Sure, politicians don’t do the front line firefighting work.

But holding a hose is not the only job to be done.

Roberts is a highly experienced ­operator and a former captain in the Army Reserve to boot.

However, that previous 112 days of work by Elliott meant he was the ­elected official best placed to deal with the events of this week.

Instead he was either sightseeing or uncontactable, thousands of feet above the ground. He is lucky to have a job to return home to.