Scott Morrison apologises for taking holiday during Australia's bushfire crisis

theguardian.com ^ | 19 Dec 2019 | Paul Karp

[Berlin_Freeper]

Scott Morrison has apologised for going on holiday while Australia is in the grip of an extended bushfire crisis and a record-breaking heatwave.

In a statement on Friday morning the prime minister explained he had brought forward his leave with his family due to the need to travel to Japan and India in January.

“I deeply regret any offence caused to any of the many Australians affected by the terrible bushfires by my taking leave with family at this time,” Morrison said.

Morrison later confirmed the holiday was in Hawaii, seeking to explain the trip’s secrecy by suggesting he had tried to give his daughters “a bit of a surprise” despite several reporters stating the prime minister’s office had denied reports he was in Hawaii after he and his family had arrived.

[Seruzawa]

I’ve never gotten this. The PM has no business interfering with the professionals tasked to deal with fires. His presence adds nothing and might actually distract those on the job. No one needs the “Great Squad Leader in the Sky”.

[gibsonguy]

The Guardian -read no further.

[Berlin_Freeper]

Is THIS where he bloody is?
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7809391/Scott-Morrison-Hawaii-picture-shows-prime-minister-state.html

[Aussiebabe]

If a Prime Minister from Australia could not go on a holiday whenever there are fires going on here, they would never get a holiday. This is just a beat-up by the Greens who are responsible for some of the fires, because they will not let back burning and fire breaks to be established during the cooler times of the year. The Greens are blaming the fires on climate change and the Prime Minister climate policies, even though he has barely been in office for any time. Also, the estimates are that 60-70% of these fires are being caused by arson, a favourite pastime of hooligans in Oz.

[Berlin_Freeper]

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/12/17/scott-morrison-criticised-taking-holiday-100-fires-blaze-across/

[Berlin_Freeper]

“If I can return and provide some moral support for people who are doing it tough then that’s what I will do.”
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/i-deeply-regret-any-offence-scott-morrison-cuts-short-his-holiday-20191220-p53lqv.html

[Gay State Conservative]

Australia experiences fires in the summer and fall (Nov to April). California experiences fires mainly in the fall (September/October). That’s been true for a million years.

[posterchild]

It’s called telecommuting.

I once lived in a city where the mayor was at the superbowl in CA while his east coast city was under 20 inches of snow - though this was in 1987 when the internet was pretty limited: mail and ftp. He wasn’t good at doing much of anything (legal) anyway.

[Aussiebabe]

Actually, Australia has different rainy and dry seasons in various regions of the country. There is a fire season just about anytime somewhere in the country. In the north, Queensland, Darwin in the Northern Territories and north Western Australia, the rainy season starts in late November and lasts until around April. So the fire season in that part of Australia is the opposite we have in the areas of NSW, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the southern half of Western Australia. We had scorching heat this week in South Australia, with temperatures for four days from 100 -120 F and we are finally getting a change of cooler weather this afternoon.

[Berlin_Freeper]

Australia fires: The huge economic cost of Australia's bushfires

[Gay State Conservative]

Years ago I hopped on the Indian/Pacific in Sydney and traveled to Broken Hill. It was March and every day I was there (three,to be precise) it was 40 degrees...meaning 100+ in Fahrenheit. But it's a dry heat...much different than the heat in Miami in July...or,perhaps,different than the heat in Darwin in January. :-)