Morrison out of tune

Hitting the right note in the midst of a crisis may not always be straightforward for political leaders.

There may be a risk they will be seen as a nuisance, getting in the way of people who have vital jobs to do and that the public might consider resources (both in people-power and money) spent ferrying them to the heart of whatever devastation is involved would be better deployed elsewhere.

People might be angry at what has occurred and looking for someone to blame.

All the same, in times of major crises, the public want to know their leaders get it; that, although they are not going through the same turmoil, they understand and empathise with those affected and appreciate the valiant efforts of those at the front line. Leaders might be as spooked as anyone else by what has occurred, but they must portray calm and solidarity.

It is not hard to find leaders who have got it wrong in recent history. Think of the reaction to that 2005 photo of President George W. Bush, taken of him peering out of the window of Air Force One after he belatedly left his vacation at his ranch and, on his way back to Washington, flew over the devastation wreaked by Hurricane Katrina.

Katrina was one of the United States' worst natural disasters, killing more than 1000 people and displacing hundreds of thousands.

President Bush has since written: "That photo of me hovering over the damage suggested I was detached from the suffering on the ground. That was not how I felt. But once that impression was formed, I couldn't change it."

Commentators have suggested his reputation never recovered, regardless of how many times he later visited or how much aid was offered the affected.

Current president Donald Trump does not have a good record of responding to hurricanes, with a Huff Post headline screaming "Every Trump Reaction to a Hurricane Has Been a Category 5 Disaster".

In typical Trump style he has talked nonsense, tried to make himself the centre of whatever is happening and shown little empathy for those affected.

He is no better with fires and, when faced with criticism, he tries to score points against his political opponents.

In New Zealand, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has been feted for her ability to instinctively hit the right note in a crisis, both in the case of the mosques' massacre and the more recent White Island tragedy. Former PM John Key was also thoughtful and empathetic in his immediate dealings with the various earthquakes during his term, and the Pike River mine disaster, although criticisms were levelled at him and his government in reaction to some of the aftermath of these events.

Across the Ditch, Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who got into trouble initially by doing a George W. and being slow to return from holiday, does not seem able to put a foot right as unprecedented fires rage through Australia.

People are angry with the bum notes he is hitting. How did he not realise waffling on about international cricket would be seen as froth irrelevant to the frightening inferno confronting the country? He has also been criticised for failing to show warmth or empathy to tired and hungry firefighters and producing a social media clip which reads and sounds like a political party advertisement.

Former Australian Labour PM Julia Gillard was criticised for what was seen as a wooden response to Queensland floods in 2011. However, in Parliament later she tearfully delivered a wonderfully crafted speech about the dramatic events of that summer which is still moving to watch.

At this point, it is hard to see Scott Morrison having the ability to even do that. Thus far he is showing only a propensity to dig himself into an ever-deepening hole. Given the ruthless nature of Australian politics, the knives cannot be far away.