Barnaby Joyce says NSW bushfire victims 'most likely' voted for the Greens
The victims of New South Wales' devastating bushfires have been dragged into the federal political arena as politicians bicker over the role of climate change and controlled burning.
Key points:
- Barnaby Joyce made the comments as he sought to attack the Greens' failure to support hazard-reduction burning
- Kristina Keneally has criticised the Nationals backbencher for the comments
- Greens Senator Jordon Steele-John accused senators of being "arsonists"
Nationals backbencher Barnaby Joyce has claimed two of the victims who were killed at the weekend had "most likely" voted for the Greens.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Finance Minister Mathias Cormann have both denounced the comments.
Mr Joyce made the comments as he sought to attack Greens politicians for what he said was a failure to support hazard-reduction burning during winter.
In recent days, the Greens have attacked the Coalition for failing to have any climate change policies that could have prevented the loss of lives in the fires raging along Australia's east coast.
Greens Senator Jordon Steele-John took the attack further in the Parliament on Tuesday, where he accused senators of being "arsonists".
NSW residents George Nole and Julie Fletcher were two of the three people who died in the fires in recent days.
Mr Joyce made the comments about the fire victims in response to a question about whether the NSW Government had provided enough resources for hazard reduction.
"They may need more resources, but they also need legislation regulations that allow them to get in there and do it in a more substantial way," he told Sky News' Kieran Gilbert.
"The crazy thing there Kieran, I acknowledge the two people who died were most likely people who voted for the Green party.
"So I'm not going to start attacking them, that's the last thing I want to do.
"What I wanted to concentrate was on the policies, we can mitigate these tragedies happening again in the future."
The ABC contacted Mr Joyce's office, seeking to clarify his comments, but is yet to receive a response.
"I think these [comments] are very unhelpful," the Prime Minister said.
"I'm not going to be distracted by debates happening among politicians. The last thing people in real need and urgent crisis need at the moment is hearing politicians shout at each other."
Senator Cormann said Mr Joyce's comments were out of line but declined to say if any disciplinary action would be taken.
"I don't think these were appropriate comments in the circumstances and that is because I don't think it's appropriate to bring politics into this debate when people have lost their lives," he said.
The political sparring comes amid catastrophic fire danger warnings across Greater Sydney, Greater Hunter, and the Illawarra and Shoalhaven region, where about 600 schools and TAFE campuses are closed.
Mr Joyce's comments drew outrage from Labor frontbencher Kristina Keneally during a Senate hearing in Canberra.
"How does he know who they voted for and why does it matter?" she said.
"They're dead. They died in a bushfire, isn't that enough?"
On Monday, Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack, who replaced Mr Joyce as Nationals leader, criticised the Greens, who he dubbed "inner-city raving lunatics" for blaming the deaths on Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
Glen Innes Mayor Carol Sparks and Mid Coast Mayor Claire Pontin have both linked the disasters to climate change as their regions deal with the devastating bushfires.
"It is not a political thing — it is a scientific fact that we are going through climate change," Ms Sparks said.
Senator Steele-John described senators as "arsonists" while discussing the Government's so-called "big stick" energy bill.
"How dare any of you suggest that in this moment at this time it is appropriate to be prosecuting a piece of legislation with the aim of propping up coal?" he said.
"You are no better than a bunch of arsonists, borderline arsonists."
Labor's Murray Watt demanded the "highly offensive" comments be withdrawn but Senator Steele-John refused.
Meanwhile, Labor leader Anthony Albanese was confronted by residents in the New South Wales community of Nimbin after visiting firefighting headquarters in Casino.
"It's nice that everybody's coming down but what I see is bread and circus," one man said.
"Shame on you, shame on you!" a woman yelled.
The Labor leader said his immediate focus was on the emergency response.
"I'm not interested in trying to politicise at a time when lives are still at risk, properties are at risk," he said.
"There's a time for debate about issues including climate change, I believe climate change is real."