Morrison visits the town of Cobago, New State. (Photo by News Network Australia)
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison was reprimanded by strongly disgruntled local residents as he visited the southern town of Cobargo in the forest fire-ravaged new state, according to the Australian News Network.
The town of Cobago is among the worst hit in the devastating blaze that struck southeastern New State on New Year`s Eve.
The prime minister has been widely criticized for his lack of substantial action to help the community cope with the hundreds of bushfires that have hit Australia in recent months.
He also reportedly suffered disdain as he attempted to enter areas affected by the fire. The angry protester claimed to Morrison that he should "shame himself" and "let the country burn."
A tweet from Australian broadcaster Journalist Pengiley said a local asked the Prime Minister why "only four trucks were defending our town?" It`s unfair that we`re completely forgotten here. "
Mr Morrison later told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation:" I`m not surprised that people are feeling very difficult to calm down at the moment. That`s why I`m here today to see with my own eyes and try to soothe as much as I can. "
"But you can`t always be like that in any case, I think everyone knows... Jenny and I appreciate the welcome, but at the same time, I understand people`s quite emotional feelings.
However, when Morrison reportedly visited, a local resident shouted at him:" Dude, you don`t get any votes here. Who`s going to vote for the Liberals here, no one. "
Another native shouted:" Hurry back to Kiribriilli`s house, why doesn`t it burn?" I didn`t see zillie billy building burning after the fireworks. "
More recently, Mr Morrison`s handling of the forest fire crisis has provoked continued criticism. He was forced to cut short his holiday to the United States last month. His controversial comments at Sydney`s Chilli Billy House when he hosted Australian and New Zealand cricketers yesterday came as a firestorm in New State and Victoria.
Patrick Salway, a 29-year-old Cobago man, and his 63-year-old father were killed when they tried to defend their farm, about 10km northwest of the town of Cobalgo, police confirmed yesterday. The devastating fire nearly destroyed the historic new state town of Balgo.
Salve`s wife and son suffered a severe blow, saying to her late husband on Tuesday night," I will always love you "... She is expecting their second child.
Earlier thursday, mr. morrison avoided discussing all the issues at a press conference in sydney that deemed government inaction. "Our mission is to provide all the necessary assistance through the full support of federal agencies," he told Journalist. In the new state alone, the relief grant has exceeded A $210,000. And as the total devastation from the Virginia fire becomes more visible, we expect to continue to provide more relief assistance to the state. "
Morrison calls for patience
The prime minister, speaking at a news conference thursday for the first time since forest fires hit the coastal areas of new states and the states this week, renewed his commitment to unchanged government policies on climate change, but said the cabinet`s national security committee would meet next monday to consider short- and long-term responses.
Asked if the forest fire had become the norm, Mr Morrison said the season was "unusual" because of previous droughts, but he hoped to break it this year. "The same issues need to be addressed are disaster reduction and incineration in national parks, land clearing around people`s properties, land zoning and planning for law, and where people can build their houses in countries like Australia, in our coastal areas. Although there are a number of regulatory measures in place on these issues, as we have seen the increasing impact of the climate effect on Australia, I think it will need to be reviewed at this time. "
The prime minister did not rule out renting more air firefighting resources to assist the existing 140 planes. Morrison also said he understood the fear, frustration and anxiety of people trying to try to make leave expect worse on saturday.
He called on the affected people to be patient and have confidence in the state departments that lead the response. "My current focus is on dealing with the anxiety of the community... Provide support and supplies to send people to safety and ensure that our firefighters get all the support they need. "
