Malcolm Turnbull criticises Scott Morrison for 'downplaying' bushfire crisis

Former Australian prime minister says the PM did not act in 'the way a prime minister would and should'

The former prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, has said he "can't explain" Scott Morrison's behaviour during Australia's unprecedented bushfire crisis and that his successor had "downplayed" the catastrophe and had not behaved the way a prime minister should.

Turnbull made the extraordinary criticism of Morrison during an interview with the BBC on Wednesday, in which he also blamed News Corp and rightwing thinktanks in Australia for promoting climate change denialism.