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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Australian PM responds to firefighter's viral tirade

Duration: 01:26s 0 shares 2 views

Australian PM responds to firefighter's viral tirade
Australian PM responds to firefighter's viral tirade

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Monday he was pleased that volunteer firefighter Paul Parker had not been dismissed following his viral tirade against the prime minister himself.

Emer McCarthy reports.

It was the tirade against Scott Morrison that went viral around the world.

Volunteer firefighter Paul Parker launched into the Australian prime minister during the peak of the country's bushfire crisis in January.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER PAUL PARKER SAYING: "Tell the prime minister to go and get [beep] from Nelligen.

We really enjoy doing this [beep].

[Beep]-head." Parker claimed that he was dismissed from his brigade following the outburst -- however the New South Wales Rural Fire Service confirmed online on Monday (February 17) that he was not.

The online tirade came after Morrison's comments about firefighters wanting to defend their communities.

The prime minister -- whose approval rating has slumped over criticism of the government's handling of the bushfire crisis -- said Monday he was pleased Parker was kept onboard.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER SCOTT MORRISON SAYING: " I understand Paul was feeling incredibly exhausted and incredibly drained by those events and he was working his tail off, defending his community.

The other thing is, I've seen it said that what he was responding to and the truth is what I said at that time, I never said, never said, that firefighters enjoyed doing this.

WHITE FLASH "It was completely misrepresented.

There was a lot of things that were misrepresented over the summer.

There was a bit of a pile-on.

But I've got thick skin and I've got work to do.

I've got a job to do." Thirty-three people have been killed in the prolonged fire season since September.

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