Scott Morrison says no evidence links Australia's carbon emissions to bushfires

PM suggests Australia could increase emissions without worsening current fire season, and says government finalising plans to crack down on environmental protests

Scott Morrison has argued there is no direct link between Australia's greenhouse gas emissions and the severity of fires ravaging the continent, even suggesting Australia could increase its emissions without making the current fire season worse.

Under pressure due to a record season of early bushfires and the accusation by a coalition of former fire chiefs that the government has avoided the issue of climate change, Morrison said on Thursday there was no "credible scientific evidence" that cutting Australia's emissions could reduce the severity of bushfires.