His comments appeared to shut down the declaration by Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack on Saturday that Australia must "absolutely" take more action on climate change, despite declining to elaborate on what this action should be. Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video But Mr Morrison said there was no divergence in views between the pair on this issue, claiming Mr McCormack was "making exactly the same point I am making", and asserted he was confident Australia would beat its Paris commitments. "There is a long time between now and 2030 and we will continue to refine our policies because we are serious about taking action. But what we won't do is act in a knee jerk, or crisis or panicked mode," Mr Morrison said during a press conference at the NSW Rural Fire Service headquarters in Sydney. His remarks follow sustained international criticism about Australia's reliance on carryover credits to meet its commitment under the Paris climate agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by between 26 and 28 per cent by 2030.

One Liberal MP, who asked not to be identified, suggested that Mr Morison was attempting to maintain the status quo in the face of a changing political landscape after weeks of flames and smoke. Locals douse spot fires by the side of the road in Lithgow. Credit:Dean Sewell “He is just trying to make it seem as if nothing has changed but it has,” the MP said. “I think that the last couple of months signifies a major change in posture and rhetoric. Look at McCormack.” Another government source said the feedback from farmers in the community had forced the Nationals' hand and that Mr McCormack's comments were carefully targeted.

Federal Opposition leader Anthony Albanese seized on the perceived split, as he accused the Prime Minister of maintaining a "business as usual approach" in the face of the bushfire crisis. Loading "The Deputy Prime Minister said yesterday new measures were needed and a new response and today, going from the acting prime minister to the real Prime Minister, we have a dismissal of the need for any action on climate change," Mr Albanese said. As more than 100 fires burnt across NSW, including the out-of-control Green Wattle Creek fire in south-west Sydney, Mr Morrison joined NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian on a visit to the Wollondilly Emergency Fire Control Centre, where they jointly announced an extra $3.5 million in disaster relief funding for fire-affected communities. Ms Berejiklian confirmed the small community of Balmoral in Sydney's south-west had been all but wiped out.

"We’ve got the devastating news that there is not very much left in the town of Balmoral. Very sad to hear that." Loading Addressing the criticism around his decision to take his family to Hawaii as the bushfires ravaged parts of NSW, Mr Morrison conceded that "with the benefit of hindsight we would have made different decisions". "I get it that people would have been upset to know that I was holidaying with my family while their families were under great stress," Mr Morrison said. "But I'm comforted by the fact that Australians would like me to be here, just simply so I can be here, alongside them as they're going through this terrible time ... and I apologise for that."