Former fire chiefs from across Australia have hit out against an ‘unofficial gag order’ on speaking about what they say is a climate emergency.
Former Fire and Rescue NSW commissioner Greg Mullins says Australians are in a “new age of unprecedented bushfire danger”.
Mr Mullins was speaking at a joint press conference with former Queensland Fire and Emergency Services commissioner Lee Johnson, ex-Country Fire Authority Victoria chief executive Neil Bibby and former Tasmania Fire Service chief fire officer Mike Brown.
They form part of a coalition of 23 fire and emergency leaders from every state and territory, known as Emergency Leaders for Climate Change.
“This fire season is going to go for months, so do we just simply get gagged? Because I think that’s what’s happening,” he said.
“Some people want the debate gagged because they don’t have any answers.
“It’s OK to say it’s arsonists’ fault, or that the ‘greenies’ are stopping hazard reduction burning, which simply isn’t true, but you’re not allowed to talk about climate change. Well, we are, because we know what’s happening.”
The call comes in the wake of the catastrophic bushfires which have roared across NSW and Queensland.
“We’d like to see Labor, the Coalition government, Greens and the crossbenchers all come together and declare a climate emergency,” Mr Mullins told reporters in Sydney on Thursday.
“This week’s catastrophic fires are exactly the type of disaster that emergency leaders and climate scientists have been warning about for decades and summer hasn’t even begun,” Mr Mullins said in a statement.
“Climate change is the key reason why fire seasons are lengthening, fires are harder to control, and access to international firefighting resources like large aircraft is becoming more difficult.
“The government must respond to this urgent threat with an urgent response.”
Mr Mullins said Australia needed to “rapidly bring down coal emissions” and transition away from coal, oil and gas.
Mr Mullins told reporters members of the group had disparate political views and experiences but stood united in demanding action on climate change.
“If it’s not time now to speak about climate and what’s driving these events – when?” he said.
-with AAP
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