Politics

Watch Liberal MP Craig Kelly Get Absolutely Shredded Trying To Defend Scott Morrison On UK TV

"You're facing one of the biggest crises you've ever faced, and there is you, Mr. Kelly, with respect, who still doesn't think this has anything to do with a heating up planet," host Piers Morgan said. "It is quite extraordinary."

by Joseph Earp  7 January 2020
Craig Kelly shredded for support of Scott Morrison

Want more Junkee in your life? Sign up to our newsletter, and follow us on Instagram and Facebook so you always know where to find us.

Ever since bushfires began sweeping across Australia, Scott Morrison has made a series of indefensible decisions. But that doesn’t mean his cronies — chief among them Liberal MP Craig Kelly — haven’t tried to defend him.

Morrison took a bougie holiday during a crisis, dragged his feet on financially assisting fire fighters, and spent his time wandering the country looking for a photo opp. But if you ask Kelly, that’s all totally above board, because looking after the country isn’t even really the Prime Minister’s job.

At least, that’s the stance he tried to take during a car crash interview with Piers Morgan on Good Morning Britain.

The whole mess began when Kelly push the lie that the connection between bushfires and climate change is shaky. When confronted with past comments about the need to burn oil and gas, the politician defended the very industry that is warming the planet. “Fossil fuels are one of the things that our lifestyle depends upon.

“To … hijack this debate, to push this ideological barrow, that somehow or other the Australian government could have reduced their carbon emissions and reduced these bushfires is just nonsense.”

From there, Kelly was asked how he could defend Scott Morrison’s controversial holiday. Desperate, Kelly placed responsibility onto the state government.

Related
The Moral Case For Heckling Scott Morrison

“One thing you have to understand about our fire regime is that it’s state based,” Kelly mumbled. “We have state fire fighting forces like we have state police forces. So the ultimate responsibility for fighting fires is the state Premier’s.”

“Yeah but it’s a national emergency,” snapped host Susanna Reid, speaking over Kelly. “So you would expect the national leader to take charge and not fly out of the country.”

“Well, the only thing that the national leader can actually do is basically wait until he gets response from those state Premiers,” Kelly said.

“Or, he can show leadership,” Reid replied.

Before long, Morgan got involved too. While Kelly mumbled his way through an excuse, the British political pundit cut right across him, slamming Morrison’s inaction.

“Scott Morrison thought the right response to these fires burning across Australia was to go lie on a beach in Hawaii. And that was a dereliction of his duties as leader of Australia.

“You’re facing one of the biggest crises you’ve ever faced, and there is you, Mr. Kelly, with respect, who still doesn’t think this has anything to do with a heating up planet. Nothing to see here, [you say], while virtually your entire country is eviscerated by fires. It is quite extraordinary.”

Watch the whole exchange below: