As bushfires choked out the sky, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison enjoyed a lavish New Year’s Eve party, complete with fireworks—earning him sharp criticism from both his constituents and from green advocates around the world. 

“The arrogance of this government is beyond belief,” activist Erik Standing Bear wrote in a Facebook post. “Another firefighter has lost his life. Several people are missing but government and certain people need to have their party. Disgraceful.”

Morrison’s decision to host the party at the prime minister’s secondary residence Kirribilli House in Sydney despite the fires burning around the country and the volunteers working overtime to mitigate the damage was seen as the latest slap in the face to a weary nation and world tired of inaction on climate. 

“The Sydney fireworks [are] symbolic of Australian PM Scott Morrison’s and indeed all world leaders’ reaction to the climate crisis, for decades: pretend everything’s OK while people die and the world around you burns,” tweeted author Matthew Todd on Tuesday. “We are in a planetary emergency.”

According to the New York Times, the bushfires are causing chaos around the country: