Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER Scott Morrison has cut short a Hawaii holiday following a barrage of criticism for vacationing while his country battles an unprecedented bushfire crisis.
Morrison expressed regret for the family trip as two volunteer firefighters were killed and a record heatwave exacerbated dozens of out-of-control blazes.
Geoffrey Keating, 32, and Andrew O’Dwyer, 36 died when a tree damaged their truck on yesterday as they battled out-of-control blazes south of Sydney.
Three other firefighters in the vehicle survived with minor injuries.
Pressure had been piling on Morrison over his vacation this week, as thousands of exhausted volunteer firefighters battled blazes across the country and millions of people in Sydney choked on toxic smoke.
“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 in a statement Friday.
He added he would be returning to Australia as soon as possible “given the most recent tragic events”, referring to the deaths of the two firefighters.
Criticism of Morrison’s absence has been widespread, sparking street protests and a flood of angry social media posts demanding #WhereIsScomo.
The situation was worsened by the prime minister’s office initially refusing to confirm his whereabouts.
“We are seeing an absolute lack of leadership from this government and it is a disgrace,” said Leighton Drury, a firefighters’ union leader addressing Morrison’s absence, “where the bloody hell are you?”
‘Huge loss’
New South Wales fire commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said firefighters everywhere were grieving the “huge loss” of the two young fathers who were caught in “the worst imaginable set of circumstances”.
“(They) simply went out, doing a remarkable job, like all their colleagues, and like they have done year-in, year-out, and to not be coming home after their shift is a tremendous grief,” he said.
The fire that they were battling was still out-of-control Friday, leaving no time for their colleagues to grieve.
Fires are burning almost the entire length of Australia’s east coast, with more than 100 blazes in New South Wales alone.
A state of emergency was declared in New South Wales — the country’s most populous state — on Thursday because of the “catastrophic” conditions.
The crisis has now spread to South Australia, where firefighters warned of “very dangerous” conditions as they fought a fire that had engulfed a vineyard in the Adelaide Hills.
At least 7.4 million acres of land has been torched across the country in recent months, with eight people killed and more than 800 homes destroyed.
Australia endures bushfires every year but they began particularly early this season, lasted longer and have been far more intense.
Scientists have attributed this in part to global warming, although Morrison’s conservative government has been reluctant to link the fires with climate change.
A series of record temperatures this week has further raised the alarm about global warming, as well as worsened the bushfire crisis.
Australia endured a record national average maximum temperature of 41.9 degrees Celsius on Wednesday.
This was a full degree higher than the previous record set just one day earlier.
Until this week, the record high had been 40.3 C in January 2013.
In some parts of Australia the temperature neared 50 Celsius, but a change in weather Saturday is expected to see maximum temperatures drop by 20 C in the south of the country.
Quite different. Anita Hill was no where near as obvious as Ms. Ford. It took a little longer to see through Ms Hill.
@Joseph Caulfield: You do not know what you are talking about.
@Joseph Caulfield: what is it that’s obvious and why? Right now we have the word of two people and a third who will not testify. We don’t know the truth, it is absolutely impossible to know. Interesting fact about the Hill story is that it took the FBI three days to investigate. It could have been done by now if anyone in the republican side had any appetite for the truth whatever it may be.
@Joseph Caulfield: another interesting take on it is if they call an investigation into this they’d probably have to launch investigations into other individuals and sexual assault claims made against them too. Republicans realise that right now they either investigate all claims or none. They’re sticking with none.
@Dave O Keeffe: Both Hill and Thomas where federal employees at the time. That’s why the FBI got involved and found no evidence.
@Joseph Caulfield: Nice try Joe but no, wrong again. When the FBI conducts a background investigation of a presidential nominee, it vacuums up all kinds of information about the nominee, including claims from people interviewed by agents, and dumps it into the file. It does not, however, investigate whether or not derogatory information is true — unless it’s asked to follow up by the White House. Several current and former Justice Department and FBI officials say this has always been the practice, and there is actually a longstanding formal memorandum of understanding between DOJ and the White House that specifies these limits.
@Dave O Keeffe: That’s nice Dave but neither Thomas or Hill where presidential candidates . They where working in federal offices which is why FBI got involved. No evidence.
@Joseph Caulfield: who mentioned presidential candidates? I suggest you get your reading glasses. Hill’s allegation was made during the background check of Thomas done by the FBI as he was nominated by the president (not for the presidency, silly Joe) The FBI is involved in all presidential appointments.
@Joseph Caulfield: Oh dear, looks like there’s another one…he’s done https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6199903/Brett-Kavanaugh-hit-SECOND-sex-misconduct-allegation-Yale-classmate-claims-exposed-himself.html
How come there’s nothing about he who cannot be named being the only bidder left in the €1B broadband roll out in Ireland…..
@Michael Byrne: how did you find out? We’ve all been sworn to secrecy
@Michael Byrne: The new three monkeys –
Hear no DOB,
See no DOB,
Speak no DOB .
@Michael Byrne: I’d stay away from the windows and avoid answering the door for a while if I was you.
https://mobile.twitter.com/MichaelAvenatti He’s got a third woman claiming she was harassed/abused
@John Ryan: I don’t trust Avenatti. That doesn’t mean I don’t think his claims are plausible but I really just don’t trust him. He’s too much of an opportunist.
@Dave O Keeffe: He may be an opportunist but that doesn’t change the fact that every time he’s said something is “coming” it’s happened.
There’s another claim after coming out…https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6199903/Brett-Kavanaugh-hit-SECOND-sex-misconduct-allegation-Yale-classmate-claims-exposed-himself.html
More dirty tricks, conflating two cases together where a reader might loose track of which case is being referred to. Contemporary journalism stinks.
@Tom Molloy: do you just blindly defend all sexual assault allegations or do you have information that the rest of us don’t have?
Justice,there is no such thing.
Is it just a coincidence that Ford lives in California, a State represented in Congress by Feinstein, Waters and Pelosi all strong opponents of Trump.
Feinstein, a member of the Judiciary Committee, knew about Ford’s allegation against Judge Kavanaugh since he was nominated but never raised it in the committee during her examination of the judge but only released it at the last moment when the vote was about to take place.
have your say