“I don’t know”: Student’s simple question for ScoMo amid bushfire crisis stumps Liberal MP on Q&A
A student stole the show on Monday night’s Q&A after asking the Prime Minister a simple question – while another guest’s bizarre PR pitch left some viewers fuming.
As bushfires continue to burn throughout the country, three lives have so far been lost along with multiple homes.
The panel, which seemed to have an air of grief surrounding it, focused mainly on the issues of climate change, renewable energy and the Coalition’s perceived inaction on both.
“With 150 fires burning across New South Wales and the devastating loss of lives and homes, our Prime Minister has offered thoughts and prayers,” the student asked.
“As young student leaders and citizens we are more inclined for more direct action, so we are collecting food and essential items to donate to regional areas. We would like to know why Prime Minister Morrison did not head the warnings of Greg Mullins, the former Commissioner of Fire and Rescue NSW, and plan preventative action to avoid the devastation?”
Mr Mullins is part of a group, along with 22 other former emergency chiefs, called Emergency Leaders for Climate Action, which has been trying to have a meeting with the government since April as they predicted the bushfire crisis early on.
When asked why Morrison had not appeared on the show to answer the questions himself and whether it was because they were viewed as political, Liberal MP Jason Falinski said he “can’t speak for the PM or his diary manager but I can say that would have absolutely nothing to do with it”.
Host Tony Jones asked, “Do you think the PM should meet those 23 fire chiefs who have tried to meet him in April and again in September with the idea of warning him that precisely this sort of thing would happen?”
Mr Falinski stressed that he has no knowledge as to why Morrison didn’t meet with the fire chiefs. “He’s a very busy person,” he said.
“At this point that’s a decision for him. Yeah, look, I think that at least the Minister at very least should take the time to meet with them, hear from them. I understand the meeting’s under way.”
Labor MP Mark Butler said Morrison “should take that meeting”.
“We’ve had advice for years now, from the Bureau, the CSIRO, the Australian Academy of Science and from emergency services chiefs that the fire season has got longer and more intense and impacting parts of the country that have never been impacted before,” he said.
“Once this is over the PM and other ministers need to start taking the advice of emergency service chiefs and all our scientific agencies much more seriously. For coming days our focus should entirely be on keeping people safe.”