Piers Morgan Absolutely Rips Into Liberal MP Over Link Between Climate Change And Bushfires

Piers Morgan has laid into an Australian Liberal MP over his views on climate change and the Prime Minister's handling of the bushfire crisis.

Craig Kelly has been a longtime climate change skeptic, so the team on Good Morning Britain knew that there would probably be a bit of argy-bargy during their discussion.

The interview started with Morgan asking how Mr Kelly couldn't believe that climate change had anything to do with the bushfire crisis gripping the country.

The Liberal MP responded with the idea that the areas affected didn't undertake enough hazard reduction burns to prepare for the season.

Fire experts say climate change has created hotter and drier conditions, making hazard reduction burns more difficult. But Associate Professor Philip Zylstra, from Wollongong University's Centre for Sustainable Ecosystem Solutions, told the Sydney Morning Herald that there have been record hazard reduction burns over the past few years.

ITV

The TV host asked why Mr Kelly promoted the use of fossil fuels last year and the politician responded with: "To try and make out, as some politicians have done, and to hijack this debate, to exploit this tragedy, to push their ideological barrow that somehow or another, the Australian government could have done something by reducing its carbon emissions, that would have reduced these bushfires, is just complete nonsense."

The GMB team then brought in meteorologist Laura Tobin to explain how Australia just endured the hottest and driest year on record.

"At the moment we want everyone in the world to commit to lower our global temperature rise. You have the second highest carbon emission per person on earth and you are burying your head in the sand," Ms Tobin said.

"This is a climate emergency. You're not a climate sceptic, you're a climate denier."

ITV

But then they saved their best bit for last.

Piers Morgan asked Mr Kelly what he thought of Prime Minister Scott Morrison's holiday to Hawaii during the crisis.

"The ultimate responsibility for fighting fires is the state premier's," Mr Kelly said.

Morgan responded with: "Scott Morrison thought the right response to these fires erupting in Australia was to go lie on a beach in Hawaii and that was a dereliction of his duty as leader of Australia.

"You're facing right now one of the greatest crises you've ever faced and there is you, Mr Kelly, with respect, a senior politician who still doesn't think this has anything to do with a heating up planet, nothing to see here, nothing to worry about.

"I gotta say, 'wake up, wake up'. Climate change and global warming are real and Australia is showing the entire world just how devastating it is. And a senior politician in Australia still pretends there's no connection and it's absolutely disgraceful."

Topics: climate change, News, Bushfires, Australia, Politics

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie is a Trending Journalist at LADbible. His first job was as a newsreader and journalist at the award winning Sydney radio station, Macquarie Radio. He was solely responsible for the content broadcast on multiple stations across Australia when the MH17, Germanwings and AirAsia disasters unfolded. Stewart has covered the conflict in Syria for LADbible, interviewing a doctor on the front line, and has contributed to the hugely successful UOKM8 campaign.

@stewartperrie