A former fire chief has compared Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison's response to the bushfires to US President Donald Trump's unwillingness to act on gun violence following mass shootings in America.
Former New South Wales (NSW) Fire and Rescue commissioner Greg Mullins said he isn't satisfied with how Morrison has reacted during the devastating fires.
"I'm angry about the prime minister's response. It reminds me of President Trump when there's multiple shootings, saying it's nothing to do with guns," he told ABC Radio Sydney's Breakfast show.
"We have to talk about climate change, because our bushfire situation in Australia has changed forever."
Mullins said he and other fire and emergency chiefs tried to warn Morrison in April and May about the severity of potential fires.
"We said that there needed to be more funding for firefighting aircraft, he said 'that's a stupid idea, those current chiefs are telling me they've got enough' - which wasn't true," he said.
Mullins claims a detailed business case from fire chiefs "pleading" for more funding was submitted two years ago and it is "still sitting on the desk in Canberra".
"Everything I heard from the government is, 'We're doing this, we're doing this, aren't we good?' Yeah, too late, guys."
Mullins said he's fought fires for 47 years and he's never seen a bushfire situation this serious.
Morrison received criticism for holidaying in Hawaii in December as fires raged across Australia. He was also yelled at by a resident in Corbago, NSW when he visited the town on Thursday, where he was told to "piss off" because he "won't be getting any votes" there. The settlement was recently evacuated of tourists.
More than 120 fires currently burn across New South Wales and 45 are tearing through Victoria. It is believed 18 people have been killed in the fires and there are 28 missing in Victoria.
