Former chiefs accuse federal government of being ‘missing in action’ over bushfires

This article is more than 9 months old

This article is more than 9 months old

Nationals leader Michael McCormack is acting as the country’s prime minister from Wagga Wagga, claiming the regional New South Wales town as the “nation’s capital”.

As Scott Morrison takes time off to holiday with family ahead of Christmas in an undisclosed location, McCormack, as deputy prime minister, will serve in the role until Thursday.

Speaking at a press conference in Wagga Wagga on Tuesday, McCormack praised the opportunity to serve from his home town in the electorate of Riverina.

“Wagga Wagga of course back in the early 1900s had its hand up to be the nation’s capital, well it’s taken a bit over a hundred years and it is finally the nation’s capital,” McCormack said.

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“But look, it’s great to be actually acting prime minister from my home town. I love Wagga Wagga, I was born here and only two federal members have ever served Wagga Wagga in the federal parliament from our city, born in our city.”

The prime minister’s office said that Morrison was continuing to receive briefings on the NSW bushfires and the recovery efforts from White Island in New Zealand. It is understood he will resume normal duties on Thursday.

The escalating fire situation across NSW has prompted a group of former fire chiefs to call for a national summit on bushfire management and climate change, accusing the federal government of being “missing in action”.

The Emergency Leaders for Climate Action – a group of 29 former emergency services bosses – accused the government of a “leadership vacuum”.

“What I’m seeing is an absolute crisis in the leadership that we do not have right now in this country,” former ACT Emergency Services Authority commissioner Peter Dunn said. “Our leadership is asleep at the wheel. In fact, in some areas, I think it’s on life support.”

Former Fire and Rescue NSW commissioner Greg Mullins said he hoped Morrison and the Labor leader, Anthony Albanese, will attend an emergency summit to be held at the end of the current bushfire season.

“We hope they’ll come, we hope they’ll contribute, we hope they’ll take away the findings and act on them,” Mullins said.

The federal shadow treasurer, Jim Chalmers, said Labor would engage if invited, saying it was “shameful” the government had not met with the fire chiefs.

“It is shameful in the extreme that Scott Morrison hasn’t taken the views of those senior firies on board.”

Morrison leaves for an overseas trip to India and Japan in January.

McCormack is understood to be focused on electorate duties this week, attending a suicide prevention meeting on Thursday and fielding questions on a range of issues, including veterans’ mental health and defence spending.