Outrage over professor’s tweet about Hunter Valley bus crash and Covid

There has been fierce debate about drawing comparisons between reaction to the tragic NSW bus crash and Covid deaths with one particular tweet causing a stir.

A University of New South Wales professor’s tweet drawing a comparison between reaction to the Hunter Valley bus crash and Covid has sparked outrage online.

In response to a tweet criticising Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and NSW Premier Chris Minns for speaking out about the bus crash and not recent Covid deaths, Professor Deborah Lupton from UNSW wrote: “You know what else is a disgrace? The MSM [mainstream media] eagerly leaping on the ‘tragic wedding crash’ clickbait story while ignoring the continuing COVID deaths each week.”

At least ten people were killed and more injured when a bus carrying wedding guests overturned at a roundabout in the NSW Hunter Valley on Sunday night, making it the deadliest crash on Australian roads in more than 30 years.

The bus driver, Brett Andrew Button, 58, from Maitland has been charged with 10 counts of dangerous driving occasioning death and one count of negligent driving.

Professor Deborah Lupton’s tweet garnered both support and sparked backlash.

Professor Lupton’s tweet was criticised by Twitter users — many who were shocked by her statement.

“Reporting on 10 deaths in a horrific bus accident is “clickbait” according to UNSW Professor,” tweeted energy advocate Evan Smith.

Others described her tweet as “abhorrent” and a “terrible take on what has happened”.

Professor Lupton defended her tweet, claiming she was not saying the bus crash shouldn’t have been reported on.

She acknowledged it was a tragedy, but stressed the “disgrace” she was referring to was the lack of Covid coverage in the media.

“Another issue is we get Chris Minns and Prime Minster Anthony Albanese appropriately expressing concern about deaths in tragedies such as this bus crash but they remain silent on the continuing tragedy of Covid deaths,” she told news.com.au.

Professor Lupton said the comments about the bus crash were “in greater criticism” about leaders “leaving Australia in the dark about how serious the Covid pandemic still is”.

There were 81 Covid-related deaths in NSW reported in the week ending June 8, according to NSW Health.

Professor Lupton is a professor in the UNSW’s Centre for Social Research in Health and the leader of the university’s Vitalities Lab.

She is not the only one to make comparisons between Australian and NSW leaders’ responses to the bus crash and Covid deaths, which has been fiercely debated online.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese addressed the bus crash in a press conference on Monday outside Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Mr Albanese held a press conference on Monday addressing the bus crash, where he thanked doctors, nurses, police and emergency services, and promised his government would provide “whatever support is necessary” to the families of victims.

Mr Albanese said it was “so cruel, so sad, and so unfair” for a “joyous” wedding day in a beautiful place to end with “such terrible loss of life and injuries”.

Chris Minns addressed media while visiting the scene of the crash in Greta on Monday afternoon.

He too thanked emergency services responding to the crash, which he described as “a terrible, terrible event in the history of NSW”.

“Whatever the final toll in this terrible accident, it’ll be more than we can bear,” he said.