"I get it that people would have been upset to know that I was holidaying with my family, while their families were under great stress," Morrison said during a press conference.
He said that he went on holiday in order to keep a promise to his children, adding that he understood that the prime minister also had other responsibilities.
"But I'm comforted by the fact that Australians would like me to be here, just simply so I can be here, alongside them as they're going through this terrible time ... and I apologise for that," the prime minister stated.
More than 100 wildfires continue to burn in Australia’s eastern New South Wales (NSW) state on Sunday. Almost 60 of them are yet to be contained.
On December 19, NSW declared a state of emergency that would last until December 26.
