Piers Morgan's heated on-air clash with Aussie MP over bushfire tragedy
Piers Morgan has laid into Prime Minister Scott Morrison on British TV for his “dereliction” during the bushfire crisis.
The Good Morning Britain host hit out at Mr Morrison during a segment with Liberal MP Craig Kelly, lambasting his decision to take a holiday to Hawaii as the fires began to rage.
When Morgan questioned Mr Kelly over Mr Morrison’s behaviour, he reiterated to the former Mirror editor and co-host Susanna Reid that the responsibility to manage the fires was in the hands of the individual state premiers.
“But it’s a national emergency so you’d expect the national leader to take charge and not fly out of the country,” Reid said in response.
Mr Kelly suggested the only way Mr Morrison could assist was if the state leaders requested help, suggesting none had.
But Morgan wasn’t convinced.
“He was absent when the fires were burning, Scott Morrison thought the right response to these fires erupting in Australia was to go and lie on the beach in Hawaii and it was a dereliction of his duty as leader of Australia,” he quipped.
“You’re facing now one of the greatest crisis you’ve ever faced.”
Liberal MP slammed over climate change denial
He then turned his focus onto Mr Kelly, roasting him for a stance on climate change Mr Morrison has also faced intense scrutiny over.
“There is you Mr Kelly, with respect, a senior politician, who still doesn’t think this has anything to do with the heating of our planet.
“Nothing to see here, nothing to worry about and virtually your entire country is eviscerated by fires.”
Mr Kelly attempted to hit back, saying the “natural disaster” had been hijacked by politicians for personal gain before Morgan said they’d run out of time and cut him off.
Ironically, a day earlier Mr Morrison was forced to deny that a much-criticised video posted on the Liberal Party's Twitter account detailing the federal bushfire response was not a political advertisement.
Morrison defiant over bushfire response
Mr Morrison has faced prolonged backlash over his behaviour throughout this bushfire season, most recently from NSW RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons over his lack of communication over 3000 army reservists to be deployed.
"I was disappointed and I was frustrated on one of our busiest days," Mr Fitzsimmons said of Saturday's announcement.
"They apologised that in hindsight they could have done better with communicating that."
The prime minister was also berated by disgruntled victims when visiting fire-ravaged communities, facing a series of expletives while awkwardly forcing a mother who lost her home to shake his hand when she refused.
On Sunday, Mr Morrison shrugged off questions about his leadership during the national bushfire crisis.
"There has been plenty of criticism but I can't be distracted by that," he said.
"The public, I know, are not distracted by that."
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