By Situation Theatre 10/11/2019

As more than 70 bushfires burn throughout NSW and Queensland, 150 homeowners are hoping that despite ignoring months of warnings from fire experts about the imminent danger, Scott Morrison’s thoughts and prayers will be an adequate substitute for meaningful action.

Apocalyptic firestorms are raging on NSW’s mid-north coast. At least three people have been killed and many more are unaccounted for. 150 houses have been destroyed and 1300 people have fled their homes.

Asked whether he believed climate change had contributed to Australia’s unprecedented early-season fires, he said “my only thoughts today are with those who have lost their lives and their families, the firefighters who are fighting the fires [and] the response effort that has to be delivered”.

According to the ABC, “23 former senior emergency figures (have been) trying to get the Australian Government to listen to their concerns about climate change and the missing capacity to fight fires in a new era”.

One of those figures, former NSW fire chief Greg Mullins, has said,

"You had 23 experts willing to sit down with a PM and come up with solutions, but he's just fobbed us off.

"What does it take to wake these people up in Canberra? I don't know."

"That's atrocious that our national government doesn't recognise that there's a disaster heading their way. So, again, please listen, Prime Minister."

Still, while Morrison repeatedly ignores desperate pleas from firefighters to devote resources to fire prevention and serially spurns climate scientists demanding he stop sabotaging emergency action at every turn, at least the bushfire victims can use the PM’s thoughts and prayers to rebuild their shattered lives.