CLANCY OVERELL | Editor | CONTACT
In yet another example of the born-to-rule classes deciding that national emergencies should not hinder their overseas holiday plans, NSW MP David Elliott is resisting growing calls to resign.
The embattled emergency services minister and state member for one of those weird Hillsong Electorates in North West Sydney has drawn furious criticism for his decision to take a European holiday in the middle of a horrific fire season.
This comes after a big year that has seen him under fire for orchestrating an unapologetic police blitz on young woman at music festivals and train stations.
In November 2019, Elliott responded to revelations police strip-searched 122 girls by stating he would want officers to search his own children if “they were at risk of doing something wrong”.
His overzealous approach to his role as the New South Wales Minister for Police and Emergency Services was again brought into question later that month after an alleged road rage incident involving a 17-year-old P-plate driver. Elliot is believed to have told the teenager he “worked for the cops”
However, just when he thought his big year couldn’t have gotten any worse, Elliott has returned home to the Hills District to find he is now facing a mild form of accountability from the public for deciding to take a holiday to Paris during the worst bushfire disaster in the country’s history, which is still ongoing.
Mr Elliott finally returned to Australia late on Saturday night after cutting short his Paris trip by 45 minutes and received a briefing from RFS Deputy Commissioner Rob Rogers – a fact he revealed on Facebook.
“My absence over the last week was inexcusable. I should have put my RFS family first and foremost given the current conditions (even my own family acknowledge that) and now it’s time to get back to work,” he conceded last night.
Speaking to the media this morning from RFS headquarters, Mr Elliott said he will “step up, not step down”.
However, Mr Elliott has defended his bizarre decision to go on holidays to Paris even after seeing Prime Minister lose the confidence of the electorate for doing to same thing with an undeclared resort holiday in Hawaii.
“Sbeenna big year” said Elliott, in between mouthfuls of croissant, at an emergency press conference moments ago.
“It was a much needed break [munching sounds]”
When asked what he had to say to those calling for his resignation, Elliott urged the journalists to put themselves in his shoes
“All those keyboard warriors have no idea. I’d like to see you lot try defend your governments decision to not listen to experts on the issue of pill testing and then watching young kids die in front of you all summer”
“It’s hard work. It’s gruelling and I can see why Morrison needed to take the break”
“Imagine being the leader of a federal government that have to defend their decisions to not listen to the experts on the issue of climate change for ten years and then having to watch 4 million hectares of the country burn in front of them”
