Australia bushfires: PM Morrison announces inquiry
February 20, 2020
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Thursday that there will be a "wide-ranging" inquiry into the causes behind the deadly bushfires that have left 33 people dead.
Morrison also announced that a six-month Royal Commission would be set up to probe preparedness in case of future bushfires.
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The commission will also look into the need for changes to the law for better clarity on who is responsible for supervising emergency authorities, in the wake of a backlash over the government's response to the fires.
"This Royal Commission is looking at the practical things that must be done to keep Australians safe and safer for longer in hot dry summers conditions in which Australians will live into the future," Morrison said at a press briefing in Sydney.
Since September Australia has been dealing with hundreds of fires. Firefighters have now contained dozens of bushfires still ablaze.
dvv/msh (AFP, Reuters)