‘They’ve been fed lies’: Greens leader fiercely defends bushfire prevention policies

The leader of the Greens has fiercely defended his party’s bushfire prevention policies, telling 3AW it’s a “lie” to suggest the Greens don’t support hazard reduction burning.

Speaking on 3AW Drive, Richard Di Natale said those who were blaming the Greens for the intensity of the current fires across Australia had been “fed lies” by sections of the media and conservative politicians.

“Repeating a lie often enough doesn’t make it true,” Senator Di Natale said.

“The Greens, at state level, and federal level and local government level, have always supported hazard reduction burning.

“People who make these claims can never point to a specific instance where a Greens state member has said ‘we don’t support hazard reduction, or we’re going to make it more difficult for you.'”

Senator Di Natale said it was “very convenient” for “conservative politicians who have denied climate science” to shift the blame.

“If you’re going to make an assertion like that, then need to be able to back it up with some facts,” he said.

“And there’s nobody who’s been able to point to any council where the Greens have had control of that council and have made it difficult – it’s just simply not the case.”

Senator Di Natale said fires like this summer will “tragically become the new normal” because of the “climate crisis” the world is facing.

Click PLAY below to hear the full interview