INTERNATIONAL WILDFIRES (21ST CENTURY)

2019

ECOCIDE
noun
destruction of the natural environment,
especially when deliberate.

INTERNATIONAL WILDFIRES

(Largest Fires of the 21st Century)

Australian Bushfire
Season (2019-20)

(Scott Morrison, Prime Minister, 2018-2022)

#2

LARGEST FIRE OF THE 21ST CENTURY

The Official Story

2019–20 AUSTRALIAN BUSHFIRE SEASON
(2nd Largest Fire of the 21st Century)

SCOTT MORRISON
(Prime Minister of Australia, 2018-2022)

Scott John Morrison (born 13 May 1968) is an Australian politician who served as the 30th prime minister of Australia from 2018 to 2022, holding office as leader of the Liberal Party of Australia. He is currently the member of parliament (MP) for the New South Wales seat of Cook, a position he has held since 2007.

Morrison was born in Sydney and studied economic geography at the University of New South Wales. He worked as director of the New Zealand Office of Tourism and Sport from 1998 to 2000 and was managing director of Tourism Australia from 2004 to 2006. Morrison also was state director of the New South Wales Liberal Party from 2000 to 2004. He was first elected to the Australian House of Representatives at the 2007 election as a member of parliament (MP) for the division of Cook in New South Wales, and was quickly appointed to the shadow cabinet.

After the Liberal-National coalition’s victory at the 2013 election, Morrison was appointed Minister for Immigration and Border Protection in the Abbott government, where he was responsible for implementing Operation Sovereign Borders. In a reshuffle the following year, he became Minister for Social Services where he oversaw the introduction of the unlawful Robodebt scheme. He was later promoted to the role of Treasurer in September 2015, after Malcolm Turnbull replaced Abbott as prime minister. In August 2018, Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton unsuccessfully challenged Turnbull for the leadership of the Liberal Party. Leadership tensions continued, and the party voted to hold a second leadership ballot days later, with Turnbull choosing not to stand. In that ballot, Morrison was seen as a compromise candidate and defeated both Dutton and Foreign Minister Julie Bishop to become party leader and thus prime minister in August 2018.

Morrison won a second term after leading the Coalition to an upset victory in the 2019 election. Morrison drew near unanimous condemnation for taking a holiday during Australia’s 2019–20 bushfire season and for his government’s response to the disaster. Morrison also faced criticism for his response to the 2021 Parliament sexual misconduct allegations. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Morrison established the National Cabinet, and Australia received praise during 2020 for being one of the few Western countries to successfully suppress the virus, though the slow initial pace of the COVID-19 vaccination rollout was criticised. In foreign policy, Morrison oversaw the signing of the AUKUS security pact and increased tensions between Australia and China and Australia and France. Morrison directed logistical support to Ukraine as part of the international effort against Russia in the wake of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Morrison has also been criticised for his government’s response to the 2022 eastern Australia floods, and his perceived inaction on climate change. The government was defeated at the 2022 election and Morrison stepped down as leader of the Liberal Party; Peter Dutton was elected unopposed to replace him.

After leaving office, Morrison became involved in a scandal after it was revealed that he had secretly held several ministerial positions while serving as prime minister, which led to Parliament passing a censure motion against him.

Second term, 2019–2022

Bushfires

In December 2019, Morrison faced criticism for taking an unannounced overseas holiday with his family to Hawaii, United States during the 2019–20 Australian bushfire season. Morrison’s office initially declined to comment on the length of his trip and his whereabouts, citing security concerns, and made false claims that Morrison was not in Hawaii. After increasing criticism from opposition politicians and on social media regarding the holiday, Morrison released a statement on 20 December that stated he “deeply regret any offence caused” and that he would cut his holiday short to return to Australia on 21 December.

On 22 November 2021, Leader of the Opposition Anthony Albanese accused Morrison of falsely claiming in Parliament that he had informed him that he was travelling to Hawaii.

Source: Wikipedia

Prime Minister during the:

– 2019–2020 Australian Bushfire Season

2019–20 Australian Bushfire Season Statistics

Dates(s):	June 2019–May 2020
Burned Area:	Approx. 243,000 square kilometres
Cost:	$920 million–$3.65 billion AUD
Cause:	Lightning strikes (including dry lightning and fire lightning), Discarded cigarette butts, Alleged arson, Australian Defence Force (ADF) mishap
Buildings Destroyed:	9,352 (3,500 homes, 5,852 outbuildings)
Deaths:	34 direct, 445 indirect (smoke inhalation)