Hundreds of ADF personnel were recalled from leave and the bigger of the two ships, HMAS Choules, which carries food and water and is capable of evacuating people from beaches, sailed from Sydney Harbour on the morning of New Year’s Day. It arrived off Mallacoota on Thursday. The instant response in some quarters was to declare the military had “finally” been mobilised but this was unfair to defence personnel who have been helping fight the fires since November 8. They have been refuelling aerial tankers, providing vehicles and drivers for search and rescue operations, serving meals to firefighters and providing accommodation for volunteers. Illustration: Simon Letch Credit: These are the facts of the federal assistance. It has been underway for almost two months. What happened this week was a dramatic escalation to respond to extreme dangers and a request from a state premier. Morrison, however, is on the defensive. He responds to this emergency from a position of weakness after the debacle of his holiday in Hawaii. While state leaders left the cities this week to witness the devastation at close range, the Prime Minister watched from Kirribilli until Thursday.

Loading Morrison attended the funeral of firefighter Geoff Keaton on Thursday and spoke in Sydney about the military assistance before heading to Cobargo to speak to bushfire survivors, so those who claim the Prime Minister is absent or invisible are wrong. The problem is the nature of his response. He seemed too passive in the face of a national crisis. This is a much bigger problem than the “tone” of his message or the “optics” of his gathering with Australian cricketers by the harbour. The anxiety about these fires is huge and the anger in the community can be white-hot. On two counts, at least, Morrison has been on the back foot. Anthony Albanese called weeks ago for a gathering of state and federal leaders to discuss the emergency response, but Morrison dismissed the idea and will not hold a Council of Australian Governments until March. Could a COAG meeting have mobilised more help earlier? Surely it would not have hurt. So why not do it?

When Albanese suggested compensation for volunteers, Morrison was dismissive at first but later announced payments of up to $6000. The response was slow, again, to a big question. Can we keep relying so heavily on volunteers if these fires are the new normal? The pattern is set. Morrison has reacted to this emergency but missed the chance to take the initiative. Yes, the primary responsibility lies with state leaders and their emergency authorities, but this is now a national crisis. Heavy traffic as people evacuate a smoky Batemans Bay. Credit:Kate Geraghty Should the Commonwealth do more? Should the ADF be deployed in greater force every summer? Will this mean fitting several Hercules aircraft to drop water, as they do in the US, or is it better to lease more dedicated jets in a national program available to the states? These are necessary questions when Australians are choking on smoke and watching hundreds of homes burn. There is no disrespect to those fighting the fires in asking whether more fires can be contained earlier with more resources.

The wrong question this week was whether these fires are unprecedented. Who can tell, given we had no aerial water bombers in 1851? The better question is this: how often will we see this destruction? One year in 10? Four years in 10? Scientists warn that climate change will lead to conditions that make these fires more common and more intense. A stronger national response is needed. Illustration: Andrew Dyson Credit: Morrison ducks and weaves. He accepts the science but leads a government that goes slow on global action. He is weakened by the division within the Liberals and Nationals and exposed by the way he chooses to respond. To admit that climate change is a growing part of this problem, and to respond to it with real vigour, is to create instant division in his party room. It is not unusual for a politician to be found wanting in a crisis. The prize dunce this week was David Elliott, the NSW Emergency Services Minister, who went on holiday to Europe after the Premier, Gladys Berejiklian, declared a state of emergency. Elliott looked soft and selfish.