The Man Who Wasn't There: The Burned Reputation of the Australian Prime Minister

Following the wave of fires that has raged on the continent for months, many in the public consider Scott Morrison to be considerably responsible for their buildup. His government is being blamed for ignoring the climate crisis, and the Hawaii vacation he stayed in when the fires began didn't contribute to a reduction in criticism. "Continued damage to his credibility as a leader"

The Man Who Wasn't There: The Burned Reputation of the Australian Prime Minister

Following the raging blows in Australia, Prime Minister Scott Morrison absorbs curses and Nazis, nicknames such as "idiot", "stupid" and even worse being dumped in Australia and abroad because of his disdainful response to climate change.

The deadly wildfire in Australia, which has killed at least 26 people so far and the destruction of some 2,000 homes, is not only a crisis for the country - but a crisis for the prime minister himself. The crisis is so severe that it is unclear if his leadership can survive it.

The frustration and anger of many Australians toward Morrison's dormant response to the wave of fires is similar to Americans' angry reaction to President Bush for his clumsy response to Hurricane Katrina. But it is still unclear if Morrison's mistakes are causing him to risk being ousted from power. "I think there has been ongoing damage to his credibility as a leader, which is likely to haunt him in the future," said Stewart Jackson, a political science expert at the University of Sydney, adding: "The question is: can Morrison recover from this?"

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"There has been ongoing damage to his credibility as a leader." Australian prime minister in country fires (Photo: Reuters)

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison in the country's fire area (Photo: Reuters)

Morrison's mistakes accompany the disaster from the start, criticized for staying on a family vacation in Hawaii, while his hometown of Sydney was suffocated with smoke emitted from the burnt forests, criticizing his absence and being criticized by his conservative government for ignoring the effects of climate change in Australia, . Australia was accused only weeks earlier of the UN Climate Conference in Madrid, exploiting a breach of the law to meet its greenhouse gas reduction quota and thwart an international agreement on the carbon market.

The Hawaii vacation created Morrison an image of those who escaped from the smoke and flames as thousands of Australians who volunteered as firefighters enlisted to help extinguish the fires. Those volunteers include firefighter driver Tony Abbott, the former prime minister whom Morrison helped stave off in 2015.

Many were outraged by Morrison's absence during his climate change and inaction, demonstrating around his home in Sydney. Social networks have been mocked by the prime minister. And a local retail chain began selling Hawaiian shirts bearing the face of Morrison as profits from the sale of the shirts were passed on to the fire department.

Morrison did, however, announce he was shortening his leave after two volunteer firefighters died in protecting their neighbors' homes. But the damage has already been done.

The fires are destroying their home, and Australia's wildlife is reaching cities

Damage to fire in Victoria State (Photo: Reuters)

Damage to fire in Victoria, Australia (Photo: Reuters)

Stuart Jackson compared the Hawaii vacation fiasco to Bush's decision to go on vacation after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in 2005. The reputation of the former US president was hurt because of his failure to respond to the storm. "Bush was at least in the state, though, flying by looking at the hurricane damage through the window," Jackson said, referring to the photo of the president surveying the damage in New Orleans, far out of his plane's windows. "Being overseas didn't help Morrison," Jackson added.

Even after returning from Hawaii, criticism of Morrison's clumsy leadership continued. He is seen on video suggesting shaking a woman's hand in Coburgo town in New South Wales - and refusing. Not taking his hand, he pulled her hand forward and shook it, leaving many Australians with the impression that all he cared about was the opportunity for photography.

"You won't get any votes here," he shouted at another local. "You're out!" Morrison ignored the local allegations, which complained of lack of government support, and claimed the insults he had plagued were impersonal. "I don't take it personally," Morrison told reporters. "I just see it as frustration, pain, loss and anger at the brutality of these natural disasters." On the other hand, his critics argue that he should take some of the insults to heart.

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Rescue koala from burning forest on Australian kangaroo island (Photo: Reuters)

Rescue koala from burning forest near Cape Borda on Kangaroo Island, Australia, January 7, 2020 (Photo: Reuters)

His Liberal Party then responded to complaints of inaction by posting a 50-second ad on social media, highlighting government contributions to the fire department, featuring Morrison examining the raging fire. Initially, the ad linked to the party website, which prominently invited political donations. The link was removed after the public outrage that arose because of what was perceived as an economic exploitation of the disaster by the party.

The criticism of Morrison is not just limited to Australia. International celebrities have also insulted him. American comedian Bette Midler wrote on Twitter that "It's a shame for the unlucky Australians, their country is on fire, and their rotten Scott Morrison says 'this is not the time to talk about climate change. We must grow our economy.' What an idiot. ? ".

Morrison agrees that man-made climate change has exacerbated fire risk in Australia by prolonging the fire season, raising average temperatures and drying the landscape. But during an interview with British television earlier this week, junior legislator Craig Kelly ruled from the government that there was no connection between wildfires and climate change. He blamed the drought and the lack of controlled fires to reduce the amount of fuel in the countryside. Kelly's comments sparked even more outrage in Australia, and Jackson said they created an impression that the government was not listening to the prime minister.

Demonstrations and ridicule on social networks. Morrison in state fire areas (Photo: Reuters)

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison in the country's fire area (Photo: Reuters)

The potential political implications for Morrison are serious. None of his four predecessors, including Abbott, have been able to complete full term. Morrison promised that before his re-election was narrowly re-elected in May, he would serve as prime minister for the entire three-year term. His party tightened its laws after voters expressed frustration that state leaders were elected internally in the party rather than in a general election. But while the government has promised stable leadership, it can easily relax the party rules again to oust Morrison if it becomes electoral damage.

Jackson said that even if Morrison succeeds in surviving as a leader, he faces hostility because of the role of Senate lawmakers, where the government does not hold most of the seats needed to pass legislation.

Andrew Hughes, an expert at the Australian National University of Marketing and Politics, said Morrison lost political ground Monday by pledging to pay $ 2 billion ($ 1.4 billion) for the fires recovery effort. "It's definitely damaged. So much so that it could hurt his brand later - but he can rebuild and he can repair the damage," said Hughes. "It is possible. But he will have to keep that narrative away from what it was during these fires, when he seems to have been absent or not involved or insufficiently related or insufficient leader."

Bright red sky following Australian fires (Photo: Reuters)

Bright red sky following fire in Victoria, Australia December 4, 2019 (Photo: Reuters)