All but two of the Australian government’s 77 members of parliament have refused to put their personal views on climate change on the record, as the country continues to suffer through a deadly bushfire season.

Prime minister Scott Morrison and other senior ministers have insisted that the government accepts the science of climate change.



“The government has always made this connection [between climate change and its impact on weather] and that has never been in dispute,” Morrison told a press conference in early January.

But the claim of unity is undermined by public comments from several MPs, most recently Craig Kelly, who you might remember as the man berated as a "denier" during a spectacular car-crash interview with conservative Good Morning Britain host Piers Morgan.

In light of this confusion, BuzzFeed News set out to answer a simple question: where do the members of the Australian government actually sit on climate change?

Our reporters approached each of the 77 Liberal and National lower house members to get their views on the science of climate change, its connection with the bushfire crisis and whether Australia should adopt a zero net emissions target by 2050.

Only one responded with his personal views on the three questions. Energy and emissions minister Angus Taylor responded with a statement on behalf of the government. The other 75 representatives failed to respond at all.

The sole individual responder, Nationals MP Damian Drum, was equivocal.

Drum, who represents the Victorian electorate of Nicholls and is the party’s chief whip, accepted that humans "are playing a role" in a changing climate, but said there were also other factors at play.

He said that while the bushfire crisis is linked to a changing climate, forest management and roadside fuel reduction are having a bigger impact.

Morrison’s media advisor replied to BuzzFeed News’ questions to say only that Taylor would be responding on behalf of the government.

