2019-11-11
Greens Senator for NSW, Dr Mehreen Faruqi, has spoken to the tragedy of bushfires in her state and the Prime Minister's shameful silence on the the link between bushfires and the climate emergency. Senator Faruqi said:
"My heart goes out to the communities utterly devastated by the tragedy of losing their loved ones and their homes. It’s also horrendous to see hundreds of koalas dead and the bush destroyed.
"The mid-north coast of NSW is a place I know well. It was my home for many years. It’s where I lived and worked and where my children grew up. Friends from Port Macquarie, Taree and Johns River have been telling me of the raging fires. They were scared of the speed and extent of destruction. They thought the end of the world was coming.
"The community needs every bit of support and help the government can give them here and now. They must be supported to get through this disaster and to build resilience. Instead of budget cuts as the NSW Liberal National government has done over the years, our brave firies must have the resources they need to do their jobs in protecting communities and do it safely.
"Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his Deputy are putting communities in danger by not acting on the climate emergency. The PM remains shamefully silent on the link between the bushfires and the climate emergency, knowing full well the intensity and frequency of bushfires will only get worse if we don’t act immediately.
"If this doesn’t wake the PM up from his climate stupor, I’m not sure what will. We need real action on the climate crisis and its consequences. The community deserve much better."