The scenes could have been taken from a catastrophe film: Black Hawk helicopters and warships land on an ash-gray beach, where more than 4,000 people have been looking for fire from days before. Soldiers use ropes and ladders to haul the approximately one thousand weakest on board to bring them to safety, while others distribute breathing masks, water bottles, diapers and satellite phones on land.
Burned birds and kangaroos lie on the side of the road, fire sirens shrill, and the radio repeats the warning by the police to leave the area by Saturday because the expected weather will make everything worse: “We can no longer guarantee your safety.” , but can not, because many petrol stations are running low on petrol – and even if they had more, hardly anyone could pay for it – many cell phone masts have burned down and neither credit card readers nor ATMs work without a network.
However, this is not a film. The scenes are real, played out on Friday in Mallacoota and Bateman’s Bay, beach towns on Australia’s hundreds of kilometers of south east coast between Sydney and Melbourne. Just two examples from many.
Video: tourist place is evacuated
In the coastal town of Mallacoota, the navy brought people to safety who had saved themselves on the beach. (Video: AP)
Twenty-four other communities were surrounded by fires at the same time, and the death toll and destroyed houses are increasing. In the most affected states, New South Wales and Victoria, 140,000 people are at risk of fire, plus an unknown number of visitors who are waiting to be taken to safety.
Economy before environmental protection
In the fight against the flames, 3000 reservists of the armed forces are to be mobilized, as the Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced in Canberra on Saturday. In addition, four additional fire engines are to be leased for an additional 20 million Australian dollars (almost 13 million euros). A third warship is said to help with the evacuations.
As far as long-term steps are concerned, Morrison had already said essentials on Friday: Under him there would still be no environmental protection policy that would harm the economy. For the evacuation measures, it is important “that people remain patient and calm”. He did understand the “harsh tone” in which residents of the almost completely burned-out town of Cobargo had insulted him the previous evening. But whether “your anger relates to me or the situation”, he doesn’t know. “I only know that they suffer and it is my job to be there and offer them support.”
Miserable crisis management
Yet that is exactly what Australia’s head of government has so clearly failed to do, that for the first time since the beginning of the disastrous fire season, even allies have openly criticized him. Young politicians in his Liberal Party jointly urged climate change skeptic and coal miner Morrison to adopt a more responsible policy.
“The young wing, and I think the majority of the party now believes it, believe that we have to do something about climate change,” said its chairman Chanegg Torres. His party friend Matt Kean, Minister for the Environment of New South Wales, had already urged «more action».
Video: Angry residents of fire regions confront Morrison
Prime Minister Scott Morrison visits the fire regions in Australia and feels the anger of the residents. (Video: AP)
Andrew Constance, who represents Cobargo for the Liberal Party in parliament, commented on Morrison’s visit there: “Honestly, he received the reception he deserved.” The only people who had shown leadership in the disaster area were New Minister of State South Wales, Gladys Berejiklian and Fire Department Chief Shane Fitzsimmons.
Media disseminate false climate data
In fact, Morrison’s visit to Cobargo is part of the miserable crisis management that has caused astonishment to horror since his Hawaiian vacation before Christmas. While on New Year’s Eve the photo of an 11-year-old boy went around the world with a respirator to take his family to safety by boat against a fiery red horizon, Morrison said in his New Year’s speech, “There is no better place in the world to raise children than Australia”. And he praised “the wonderful Aussie spirit that helps us feel ready for any challenge”.
By this he probably meant the stoic nature of the Australians, who have always been tough and at least so far have not really tackled their prime minister. Not even the opposition, because like Morrison, it is relying on the increased mining and export of climate-damaging coal. The majority of the media, television and newspapers, in turn, is controlled by the neo-conservative media entrepreneur Rupert Murdoch and supports the political course of the ruling party almost unconditionally. It repeats wrong facts and figures about the climate and fire crisis over and over again, no matter how often independent experts refute them.
Criticism takes place almost exclusively in the liberal British Guardian – or in social networks. However, there is now video footage of the unsuccessful visit to Cobargo, which has what it takes to change the “Aussie spirit” itself: first, a resident refused to shake the hand of the Prime Minister, then a firefighter, whose house was destroyed by the flames.
Off to India
Even more outraged, however, was Morrison’s reaction, which was as sovereign as cold-hearted: he grabbed the woman’s hand almost roughly and, as she cried, asked for more help from his government, brusquely turned away. To the firefighter’s head of operations, he only says: “Align the guy, I’m sorry, he’s sure to be tired.”
Morrison has announced a fire crisis meeting for Monday. Then the head of government wants to travel to India to conduct trade talks. India is Australia’s largest coal customer.
Created: Jan 4 2020, 5:17 PM
–
