Bushfires: Holiday hindsight opened PM’s eyes

Scott Morrison has issued a mea culpa for going on holiday in ­Hawaii as the bushfire crisis escal­ated.

NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons briefs Scott Morrison and NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian at the Wollondilly Emergency Control Centre in Sydney on Sunday. Picture: AAP

Scott Morrison has issued a mea culpa for going on holiday in ­Hawaii as the bushfire crisis ­escalated, saying he would not have left Australia “with the benefit of hindsight”.

The Prime Minister said he regretted­ the “great anxiety” his holiday caused bushfire victims, as he left the door open to supporting Anthony Albanese’s proposal for compensation for volunteer firefighters.

“Fire services around Australia are run by state governments so it is not for the commonwealth governmen­t to step in and make decisions about that, but these are things that I think can be contemplated,” Mr Morrison said.

“But I very much want to do that in consultation with the state and territory governments.”

Mr Morrison cut his family holiday short after facing criticism for being overseas while fires raged through NSW, Victoria and South Australia. He arrived in Sydney on Saturday night and fronted the media on Sunday morning, before meeting bushfire victims.

“I accept the criticism and that is why Jenny (Morrison) and I agreed it was important that I returned­, particularly after the terrible­ tragedies we saw late this week,” Mr Morrison said.

“I get it that people would have been upset to know that I was holidaying with my family while their families were under great stress.

“I am comforted by the fact that Australians would like me to be here simply so I can be here alongside them as they’re going through this terrible time.”

He said he organised a holiday in Hawaii with his wife and two daughters seven weeks ago.

“I am sure Australians are fair-minded and understand that when you make a promise to your kids, you try and keep it, but as Prime Minister you have other responsibilities and I accept that,” Mr Morrison said.

The Prime Minister said he would be more upfront about his private leave in the future, with the trip happening without a public statement that Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack would be acting in the prime ministerial role.

“The Deputy Prime Minister was the acting prime minister and each time I have taken private family leave as Prime Minister, I followed exactly the same process,” Mr Morrison said.

“No objections were raised by the press on those occasions but it is something we will rectify.”

He insisted he was holding himself to the same stand­ard as when he criticised Victoria’s former police commissioner Christine Nixon for going out to dinner during the Black Saturday fires.

“Equally I would note that I am not the operational leader of an emergency service or police force,’’ he said.

“I am the Prime Minister. And as Prime Minister I was kept ­regularly, and sought to be kept regularly, updated on the events.’’

The Opposition Leader used Mr Morrison’s apology to declare he would remain in Australia durin­g the bushfire crisis.

“I will not be going overseas,’’ Mr Albanese said.

“And I intend to be around Australia, both in terms of what I’ve been doing with the bushfire crisis, but other work as well, doing my job as Leader of the ­Opposition.

“I wouldn’t have made the decis­ion that he made to go. He chose also to do it in a way that I think created a major issue of sec­recy. This government has a real problem with being accountable, with any scrutiny whatsoever.”