The criticism of Morrison has partly been that he took a vacation in Hawaii with his family when the fires raged. He has also been accused of not providing enough resources for firefighting, for lack of preparation for the fire season and for a weak interest in climate work.
When Morrison visited the fire-stricken town of Cobargo in New South Wales last week, he was met by locals who scolded him and refused to shake his hand.
"Need to think about"In a half-hour interview with the Australian ABC he seems to have addressed the criticism to some extent.
- There are things I could have handled much better. 95 percent of the response I received has been very positive and appreciative. But these are sensitive areas and prime ministers are also made of flesh and blood when they interact with people, he says.
- When I visited these places with my wife, I did it with good intentions to give the comfort I can. But we need to think about how we do it. I have had many good visits behind the camera, I think it makes it more possible for people to interact with me.