Opinion: The history makes inexplicable his judgment in leaving for a family holiday overseas as much of NSW choked on smoke from hundreds of bushfires and millions suffered rising anxiety.
Holt was on tour in New Zealand when bushfire disaster hit Tasmania in February 1967. He flew to fire-blasted Tasmania to comfort survivors, declaring "I had to come to see for myself".Even the imperious Gough Whitlam, in the midst of an extended tour overseas, flew back to Australia from Europe to inspect the damage after Cyclone Tracy destroyed Darwin at Christmas in 1974.
Kevin Rudd flew into Warrnambool to visit Leon and Joan Davey who lost their son Robert and his family in the Black Saturday fires.Since then, Malcolm Fraser, Bob Hawke, John Howard, Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull have all interrupted their schedules to comfort those afflicted by natural calamity, from fire to flood to drought and cyclone.
Malcolm Fraser felt it was necessary to put his 1983 election campaign in suspension for three days after the Ash Wednesday bushfires ravaged South Australia and Victoria. Opposition leader Bob Hawke agreed to the hiatus. Fraser, who had sacrificed any campaign momentum he might have had, lost the election a few weeks later.
"It is very important when things like this happen, no matter where, that someone in my position demonstrates a concern and empathy," said Howard.
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