Australian prime minister's approval rating slumps as bushfires rage

By Sonali Paul

 

FILE PHOTO: Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison speaks during a press conference on the governments' bushfire response at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, January 5, 2020. AAP Image/Lukas Coch via REUTERS

 

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison's approval rating has declined sharply in the face of horrendous bushfires that have killed 28 people and destroyed 2,000 homes, a closely watched poll showed on Monday.

 

Morrison has come under attack for being slow to respond to an unprecedented crisis, even taking a family holiday to Hawaii while fires were burning, and acknowledged on Sunday he had made some mistakes.

 

"There are things I could have handled on the ground much better," he said in an interview with Australian Broadcasting Corp on Sunday.

 

After months of raging bushfires that have ravaged more than 10.3 million hectares (25.5 million acres) of land, an area roughly the size of South Korea, Morrison in early January announced a A$2 billion ($1.4 billion) bushfire recovery fund and called out 3,000 army reservists to back up state emergency workers.

 

The response was seen as too slow. The Newspoll, conducted from Wednesday to Saturday after those announcements, showed Morrison's approval rating dropped 8 points to the lowest level since he took over leadership of the Liberal Party in August 2018.

 

His approval rating was overtaken by opposition Labor leader Anthony Albanese in the poll, which surveyed 1,505 voters.

 

Labor also overtook Morrison's Liberal-National Coalition on a two-party preferred basis, where votes for minor parties are distributed between the major parties, for the first time since Australia's election last May. No margin of error was provided, although it was about 2.5 percentage points in previous Newspolls.

 

The same poll last year, however, incorrectly predicted Labor would win the election.

 

Morrison said on Sunday he would take a proposal to Cabinet to hold a Royal Commission national inquiry into the bushfires, including examining the response to the crisis, the role and powers of the federal government and the impact of climate change.

 

While some fires came under control over the weekend, thanks to cooler conditions and some light rain, the state of Victoria had two emergency warnings on Monday, urging residents in the eastern part of the state to evacuate.

 

Here are key events in the crisis:

 

** Since October, thousands of Australians have been subjected to repeat evacuations as huge and unpredictable fires scorched more than 10.3 million hectares (25.5 million acres), an area roughly the size of South Korea.

 

** Across New South Wales, 111 fires were still burning late on Sunday, 40 of them not yet contained, but none at emergency level.

 

** A number of fires burning in the Snowy Mountains region in New South Wales and into Victoria have merged across more than 600,000 hectares (1.5 million acres) of land. They do not pose a threat, authorities say, despite being in an area hard to reach.

 

** The government said on Sunday it would provide A$76 million ($52 million) for mental health counseling and healthcare consultations to firefighters, emergency workers, individuals and communities.

 

** Western Australia Department of Fire and Emergency Services said on Sunday an out-of-control and unpredictable fire that is moving slowly in the state's south, poses a possible threat to lives and homes in the area.

 

** South Australia said on Sunday that more than 32,000 livestock animals, mostly sheep, had died in recent fires on Kangaroo Island, while fire services are working to strengthen containment lines ahead of expected worsening weather conditions on Monday.

 

** Thousands of Australians took to the streets on Friday to protest against government inaction on climate change, and were supported by protesters in London.

 

** Australia's wildfires have dwarfed other recent catastrophic blazes, with its burnt terrain more than twice the extent of that ravaged by 2019 fires in Brazil, California and Indonesia combined.

 

** Westpac estimated total bushfire losses to date at about A$5 billion, higher than the 2009 bushfires in Victoria but smaller than the Queensland floods in 2010/11. It forecast a hit of 0.2% to 0.5% on gross domestic product.

 

** The Insurance Council of Australia increased to more than A$900 million its estimate of damage claims from the fires, and they are expected to jump further.

 

** About 100 firefighters from the United States and Canada are helping, with 140 more expected in coming weeks.

 

** The fires have emitted 400 megatonnes of carbon dioxide and produced harmful pollutants, the European Union's Copernicus monitoring program said.

 

** Smoke has drifted across the Pacific, affecting cities in South America, and may have reached the Antarctic, the United Nations' World Meteorological Organization said.

 

(Reporting by Sonali Paul; Editing by Peter Cooney)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-01-13

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It has been known throughout history that in times of disasters and mega calamities the people always look for scapegoat and to point the fingers at someone up the top but never ever at themselves, the conditions that led to the huge bushfires didn't happen or become to be under the watch of PM Morrison rather an accumulations of conditions owing to climate management, but it's always easy to blame and point finger... 

State Governments fight fires and manage disasters in Australia. Whatever the cause of the fires, it could not have been prevented in the 6-8 months the present PM has been driving the bus. Beyond some funding, the prime minister has no magic fire fighting executive powers. 

It really comes down to a vocal minority upset that their team didnt win the last election.

Edited January 12, 20206 yr by Peterw42

Just how we got into this catastrophe.

 

http://situationtheatre.com/features-2/climate-election-government-record?fbclid=IwAR311nIh1SkV08zbZi9TwYRYjHHlxjF8dj8iB_UOdl3gclvpZoRVwlqG3TM 

Same poll that said Shorten would be in the lodge at the last election. 

 

 

He also passed legislation that protects his job secretly recently. Due to large churn of Prime Ministers in last 6 years; the cabinet now has to have greater than 75% majority to sack from his job ( rare event), so he laughs until 2022 elections.

1 hour ago, ezzra said:

It has been known throughout history that in times of disasters and mega calamities the people always look for scapegoat and to point the fingers at someone up the top but never ever at themselves, the conditions that led to the huge bushfires didn't happen or become to be under the watch of PM Morrison rather an accumulations of conditions owing to climate management, but it's always easy to blame and point finger... 

Where, I wonder, does the buck stop on planet Ezzra?

 

 

  

36 minutes ago, legend49 said:

He also passed legislation that protects his job secretly recently. Due to large churn of Prime Ministers in last 6 years; the cabinet now has to have greater than 75% majority to sack from his job ( rare event), so he laughs until 2022 elections.

From memory so maybe a little out but some clarification required I believe.

By "legislation" you mean Liberal Party rules.

By "secretly" you mean reported all over the MSM.

By "recently" you mean about a year ago.

By "75%" you mean 2/3ds or 67% (75% is the Labor Party rule - when in power, 60% in opposition - which was changed in 21013).

Edited January 13, 20206 yr by Salerno

2 hours ago, ezzra said:

It has been known throughout history that in times of disasters and mega calamities the people always look for scapegoat and to point the fingers at someone up the top but never ever at themselves, the conditions that led to the huge bushfires didn't happen or become to be under the watch of PM Morrison rather an accumulations of conditions owing to climate management, but it's always easy to blame and point finger... 

Then again, going on holiday to Hawaii in the middle of it, and awkwardly grabbing the hands of people who didn't want to shake his for his photo ops, these are hardly the traits of a good leader. And of course he 'forgot' about the 2 volunteer fireman who lost their lives, before being corrected by everyone around him. 

Agreed that the the fire services have been slowly gutted by one gov after another, but when the inevitable disaster did strike, ScoMo has been weighed on the scales and found severely wanting. 

9 minutes ago, Katipo said:

Then again, going on holiday to Hawaii in the middle of it, and awkwardly grabbing the hands of people who didn't want to shake his for his photo ops, these are hardly the traits of a good leader. And of course he 'forgot' about the 2 volunteer fireman who lost their lives, before being corrected by everyone around him. 

Agreed that the the fire services have been slowly gutted by one gov after another, but when the inevitable disaster did strike, ScoMo has been weighed on the scales and found severely wanting. 

Agreed, this is the guy who had to have lessons in empathy to improve his persona. In a time of strife this man is pathetic. Imagine Bob Hawke there today!

1 hour ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Where, I wonder, does the buck stop on planet Ezzra?

 

 

It stops with the local and state governments. Stop making everything a federal issue.

 

3 hours ago, webfact said:

The same poll last year, however, incorrectly predicted Labor would win the election.

Yep, Morrison makes mistakes but Labour are a walking disaster for Australia.

Scott from marketing belongs to a group of populist leaders, who have now given the leadership roles in many western world. 

 

He is also one of the first ones, who has been put to a real crisis in their country.

 

Who had guessed, he lacks the skills to lead the country, when leadership is required?

 

Sorry for Australia, but it's good that the reality of these swamp creatures are exposed. Perhaps there will be better leaders, who are working for the people, popping up in next elections.

 

Isn't Shane Fitzsimmons in charge of the fires in NSW.

ScoMo and his family deserved a holiday just the same as any other working Australians. 

15 minutes ago, farmerjo said:

Isn't Shane Fitzsimmons in charge of the fires in NSW.

ScoMo and his family deserved a holiday just the same as any other working Australians. 

Ahh, on his return from his holiday his excuse was he had promised his kids the break and like all dads did ,t want to disappoint them! Hey Dad? Sad part is he,s the PM of a country being devasted! No wonder he was sacked from his marketing role.

2 minutes ago, Olmate said:

Ahh, on his return from his holiday his excuse was he had promised his kids the break and like all dads did ,t want to disappoint them! Hey Dad? Sad part is he,s the PM of a country being devasted! No wonder he was sacked from his marketing role.

And the country also has a deputy prime minister.

The country is not micro managed.

12 minutes ago, farmerjo said:

And the country also has a deputy prime minister.

The country is not micro managed.

Suggest you read up on the deputy pm,s record of managing too, not to mention his perception by the public of Oz as a leader. By the way sco mo tried to keep his trip hidden from scrutiny and never announced his deputy was acting PM.

1 hour ago, TheDark said:

Scott from marketing belongs to a group of populist leaders, who have now given the leadership roles in many western world. 

 

He is also one of the first ones, who has been put to a real crisis in their country.

 

Who had guessed, he lacks the skills to lead the country, when leadership is required?

 

Sorry for Australia, but it's good that the reality of these swamp creatures are exposed. Perhaps there will be better leaders, who are working for the people, popping up in next elections.

 

One of the things in this photo is a dark dense emotionless mass without empathy or charisma, the other is a piece of coal.

49 minutes ago, Olmate said:

Ahh, on his return from his holiday his excuse was he had promised his kids the break and like all dads did ,t want to disappoint them! Hey Dad? Sad part is he,s the PM of a country being devasted! No wonder he was sacked from his marketing role.

Was the country at war? Was it being invaded? No!

There were bushfires. Very bad bushfires but still bushfires. And they fall under the purview of the state and local governments not the federal government.

 

1 minute ago, newatthis said:

Was the country at war? Was it being invaded? No! There were bushfires. Very bad bushfires but still bushfires. And they fall under the purview of the state and local governments not the federal government.

As many commentators in Australia have said, in times of "crisis" people simply don't care about the niceties of Federal/State relations and demand that "the government" do something. Rightly or wrongly the most obvious government with the most financial clout is the federal one. Suck it up

1 hour ago, TheDark said:

Scott from marketing belongs to a group of populist leaders, who have now given the leadership roles in many western world. 

 

He is also one of the first ones, who has been put to a real crisis in their country.

 

Who had guessed, he lacks the skills to lead the country, when leadership is required?

 

Sorry for Australia, but it's good that the reality of these swamp creatures are exposed. Perhaps there will be better leaders, who are working for the people, popping up in next elections.

 

Well, you'll have an opportunity at the next elections to vote for your "better leader."

2 hours ago, TheDark said:

Perhaps there will be better leaders, who are working for the people, popping up in next elections.

You dreamer you!

2 hours ago, farmerjo said:

Isn't Shane Fitzsimmons in charge of the fires in NSW.

ScoMo and his family deserved a holiday just the same as any other working Australians. 

Former PMs holiday in Oz. When Morrison went to Hawaii, he had to be accompanied by 4 Fed police officers for security. Adds up cost wise. Previous PMs unwound locally at much less cost to our taxes. Other working people cover their own costs.

Edited January 13, 20206 yr by Cats4ever
grammar

4 hours ago, newatthis said:

Was the country at war? Was it being invaded? No!

There were bushfires. Very bad bushfires but still bushfires. And they fall under the purview of the state and local governments not the federal government.

 

It was under attack in another form. People losing lives, houses properties, and for the first time basically, being displaced in their own country on a large scale.

 

If the PM has no powers, why is he now banging on about all the things the federal government is doing?

He seems to always have that look on his face that says...Damn it, if it wasnt for these stupid bushfires I could still be in Hawaii

4 hours ago, newatthis said:

Was the country at war? Was it being invaded? No!

There were bushfires. Very bad bushfires but still bushfires. And they fall under the purview of the state and local governments not the federal government.

 

And the great thing about bushfires is that they scrupulously respect borders. A NSW bushfire will never cross into Victoria or Queensland. Which is why the Liberals have refused to expand national firefighting programs.

Government rejected major air-tanker expansion

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/government-rejected-major-air-tanker-expansion-20200103-p53onl.html

11 minutes ago, ThaiBunny said:

Don't forget that Daylight Saving causes the curtains to fade

Or the cows won't milk....

A Troll post, a reply to it, and a reply to that have been removed.

8 minutes ago, madmen said:

He seems to always have that look on his face that says...Damn it, if it wasnt for these stupid bushfires I could still be in Hawaii

I'm not sure why Liberal politicians feel the need to smirk so much. Peter Costello was a smirker, now there's Morrison

6 hours ago, farmerjo said:

Isn't Shane Fitzsimmons in charge of the fires in NSW.

ScoMo and his family deserved a holiday just the same as any other working Australians. 

Right. And it's Okay for a captain to abandon his ship and crew  for a vacation even if the ship is on fire.

6 hours ago, farmerjo said:

Isn't Shane Fitzsimmons in charge of the fires in NSW.

ScoMo and his family deserved a holiday just the same as any other working Australians. 

So why did he cut it short and come back if that were the case?