Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison faced enraged hecklers and an angry firefighter in a town ravaged by bushfires, piling pressure on the leader amid an unprecedented crisis that has killed at least 18 people.
A firefighter refused to shake Morrison's hand when he visited the town of Cobargo in New South Wales state on Thursday.
Video footage showed Morrison tried to grab the man's hand, who then got up and walked away, sparking an apology from the Prime Minister.
A local fire official explained that the man had lost his house while defending others' homes.
Another man blasted Morrison for watching fireworks over Sydney Harbour from his official waterfront mansion, Kirribilli House, while fires raged further south on New Year's Eve.
"You won't be getting any votes down here, buddy. You're an idiot," the man shouted.
"I don't see Kirribilli burning after the fireworks," he screamed.
Morrison said on Friday he didn't take the attacks personally.
"I understand the hurt, the anger and the frustration," he said in an interview on 3AW radio.
"Whether they're angry with me or they're angry about their situation, all I know is that they're hurting and it's my job to be there to try and offer some comfort and support," he said.
Morrison had walked away from a Cobargo woman who urged him to provide more funding to the town and state firefighters.
"This is not fair. We're totally forgotten about down here. Every single time this area has a flood or a fire, we get nothing," another woman shouted as Morrison drove away.
Even a state politician from his own Liberal party whose seat is in the region took a swipe at Morrison.
Andrew Constance, NSW's transport minister, was scathing in his assessment of the leader's response to bushfires blazing across Australia, with NSW declaring a state of emergency.
"I haven't had a call from him, so to be honest with you the locals probably gave him the welcome he deserved.
"I'd say this to the Prime Minister today: the nation wants you to open up the cheque books.
"I know this is tough and I know I'm on his side of politics. But the only two people who are providing leadership at this stage are (NSW Rural Fire Service commissioner) Shane Fitzsimmons and (NSW premier) Gladys Berejiklian."
Mr Constance lost his home at Malua Bay and called on Mr Morrison to immediately provide money for victims to buy supplies.
"We've lost a lot of homes. A lot of businesses. I know people who have lost both," he said.
"Having lived through this myself, it's tough. You can't experience this, it's cruel, it's nasty.
"The feeling is bloody raw and it's bloody raw for a reason. I was here at Malua Bay the other day and it's just hell on earth."
The Prime Minister, who won a surprise election victory in May last year, ended 2019 on a sour note with fires raging across five states while he took off on a family holiday to Hawaii.
Facing criticism, he cut the holiday short and apologised for making a mistake.
He urged locals and holidaymakers, who on Thursday were forced to evacuate fire ravaged areas, to be patient, but he is facing criticism for not doing enough to fight the underlying causes of the bushfires or combating the crisis.
"The challenge now is the scale of what we're seeing across several states now. Those resources are being stretched," he said on local radio.
Federal natural disasters minister David Littleproud on Thursday announced disaster relief payments would be extended to bushfires survivors in the Bega Valley.
Payments of $A1000 ($NZ1493) per adult and $A400 per child can be claimed through the Department of Human Services.
"This is for people whose home has been severely damaged or destroyed, who've been seriously injured or who've lost a family member," Littleproud said,
Meanwhile, Morrison said he was inclined to cancel an official trip to India planned for this month in order to deal with the bushfire crisis.
Asked by reporters on Friday if it was appropriate to leave Australia given the situation, Morrison said he was "inclined not to proceed" with the visit.
Morrison was due to visit India from January 13 to 16 at the invitation of Prime Minister Modi.
- Reuters and AAP
