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The mayor of the New South Wales district where two people have died in bushfires says she's disgusted Australia's former deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce disparaged the victims as most likely being Green Party voters.
There's a widespread view in Australia that climate change is a factor in the severity and scope of the fires sweeping eastern states.
But Mr Joyce, now a National Party backbencher, disputes that and has blamed the fires partly on changes in the sun's magnetic fields and partly on the Green Party, saying it opposes the pre-emptive burning of scrub in fireprone areas.
The Glen Innes Severn Council mayor Carol Sparks lives in the village of Wytaliba where the two people died.
Corin Dann spoke to her last night.