Groundswell of support for sacked volunteer firey after fiery tirade against Scott Morrison
A firefighter who told Scott Morrison “to get f*****” while battling a blaze during the bushfire crisis has been sacked, and he believes it was due to the comment.
Paul Parker’s – a New South Wales Rural Fire Service volunteer – rant went viral after he cussed out the Prime Minister in front of TV cameras in Nelligen on the state’s South Coast in early January.
An online campaign to save his job obtained thousands of signatures after reports emerged Mr Parker faced being stood down by the RFS.
"You're finished because of your allegations and foul language against the prime minister of the country while representing the RFS." Firefighter Paul Parker from Nelligen sacked from RFS. #TheProjectTV #auspol #AustralianFires pic.twitter.com/cBevXZRjzi
— David Marler (@Qldaah) February 16, 2020
The NSW RFS confirmed that the firefighter has been sacked from his position, but denied it was due to his comments.
But appearing on The Project, Mr Parker said he had been told by a brigade chief with the state’s rural firefighting service that he was “finished” because of his verbal tirade.
“There were comments with gestures and arm movements saying that I’m finished – (that) it’s all over,” he said on The Project.
“Another captain from another brigade within Batemans Bay come out and I asked, ‘what’s going on?’”
“He said ‘you’re finished because of all your allegations and foul language against the prime minister of the country while representing the RFS’.
“I didn’t know you could get sacked from a volunteer organisation but apparently you can.”
If Australia of today is anything like the country it claims to be, this should cause absolute outrage. Not only was Paul Parker saving homes & lives while the PM tanned up in Hawaii, he expressed succinctly what pretty much a whole country was thinking. #IStandWithFiremanPaul https://t.co/Rz5rtosCLK
— Rohan Connolly (@rohan_connolly) February 16, 2020
Not good enough. Paul was exhausted when he made that comment, and understandably upset after seeing houses burn. He should be reinstated immediately.
But he spoke for so many of us.#IStandWithFiremanPaul #SackScottyFromMarketing#auspol #MorrisonFires #ScottyfromMarketing— 💧🌏🌳NeilJB🔥 (@NeilJB1) February 16, 2020
People threw money at Israel Folau for the right to say what he wanted and still play sport for millions. They had better raise their voices for someone who wants to fight fires for free. #IStandWithFiremanPaul
— Matt Elsbury (@thinkforasec) February 16, 2020
Mr Parker revealed that he took aim at Morrison after he said that rural firefighters should not be paid.
Since he stepped down, hundreds of Australians have rallied to raise money for Mr Parker with some donating hundreds of dollars to his bar tab at his local pub in the small village west of Batemans Bay.
Today we are all Paul Parker from Nelligan. #AustraliaFires #auspol #AustraliaBushfires #bushfirecrisis pic.twitter.com/Dvq8ZaFQa9
— Stig Martyr (@StigMartyr) January 5, 2020
Publican Joel Alvey spoke to Daily Mail Australia, saying: “Everyone has been a great support by donating money for Paul.”