NSW RFS Firefighter who slammed Scott Morrison has NEVER had to pay for a beer since

A firefighter who made headlines across the country for slamming Scott Morrison during the bushfire crisis has never had to pay for a beer at his local pub since. 

Paul Parker, from Nelligen on the New South Wales south coast, became an Australian hero after he was filmed shouting from his firetruck at the beginning of January.

‘Are you from the media? Tell the prime minister to go and get f***ed from Nelligen,’ he screamed.  

‘We really enjoy doing this s**t,’ he continued sarcastically before giving a thumbs-up and driving off. 

He then collapsed to the ground from exhaustion and explained to reporters that he’d failed to save seven homes from the devastating Clyde Mountain Fire that tore through his community earlier that day. 

Pictured: Paul Parker and publican Joel Alvey at Steampacket Hotel in Nelligen. Locals have been donating money to Mr Parker following his honest message to Mr Morrison

More than one-month later, the firefighter’s blunt message continues to be praised by pubgoers at his local institution, Steampacket Hotel. 

Publican Joel Alvey told Daily Mail Australia: ‘Everyone has been a great support by donating money for Paul.’

Donors have left money to shout Mr Parker a schooner, while some cash has been given directly to the hotel.

Mr Alvey said there was about $500 donated by Thursday and an additional $200 had been given on Friday morning following heightened media attention.  

The publican, who was an RFS member for the past 20 years, said Mr Parker visits the hotel ‘quite regularly’.

Mr Alvey thinks Australians were keen to throw their support behind the firefighter because he ‘said the words everyone was thinking at that time’.

‘That’s Paul, he says what he thinks,’ Mr Alvey explained.

‘We already had a couple of weeks of fire and that was the breaking point. Everyone who was in that truck was feeling the same way.

Publican Joel Alvey (right) said he thinks Australians are keen to throw their support behind Mr Parker (left) because he ‘said the words everyone was thinking at that time’

‘Everyone’s sort of patting him on the back for what he said. It’s what we were all thinking at the time.’ 

Mr Parker admitted he was ‘shocked’ that his frank admission to the prime minister went viral.

‘I’ve had no negative comments to what I said. A lot of people, even fellow firefighters said ”you just said what everyone is thinking”,’ Mr Parker told Daily Mail Australia.

‘If I was the PM, I wouldn’t have left the country.’

Mr Parker said he didn’t want to take all the praise for his efforts and commended fellow firefighters. 

‘As far as people donating money and putting a bar tab, I don’t want to make money out of it or anything,’ he explained.

‘Every time I go and have a beer, I shout the bar.

‘There was a lot of other people who did work. I wasn’t a single hero firefighter.’

Mr Alvey and the Steampacket Hotel (pictured) are now facing an uncertain few months, as they attempt to recover from the devastation of the fires. ‘It’s been really tough [the bushfire season]. It’s left us hanging a bit,’ Mr Alvey said 

Mr Parker said the fires wouldn’t have been as intense if they had done hazard reduction burns over the last few years. 

‘It was a catastrophic situation, and we all know that the RFS can’t be everywhere,’ he said.  

‘Control has got to be given back… All the political red tape has got to be taken away.’   

Mr Alvey and the Steampacket Hotel are now facing an uncertain few months, as they attempt to recover from the devastation of the fires.  

‘It’s been really tough [the bushfire season]. It’s left us hanging a bit,’ Mr Alvey said.

‘We’ve lost our entire summer trade which is what we rely on to get through winter.

‘[We’re] trying to do what we can to pay the bills and keep the doors open.’

Mr Alvey is hopeful that ‘once everything settles down a bit’ they’ll see an increase in patronage around Easter.

Mr Parker, who works by day as a tradesman, collapsed to the ground from exhaustion and explained he’d failed to save seven homes from devastating bushfires

He wants to remind local residents and New South Wales holidaymakers that it will be business as usual.   

‘We’re here, we’re open,’ he said. 

‘Hopefully the caravan park will be back in business, we’ll try and pick up from here.’ 

Mr Parker is also hopeful that Australians choose Batemans Bay as a holiday destination to ‘get out and spend some money’.

‘That pub really relies on the caravan park and local traffic coming down the Kings Highway and as we all know that was shut for weeks,’ Mr Parker said.

‘He lost a lot of money and they’re really struggling and I really feel for him.  

‘We need the Canberra trade in particular. Without them, Batemans Bay wouldn’t be the place it is.

‘It really knocked this town around, the fires.’  

Mr Parker told Daily Mail Australia: ‘If I was the PM, I wouldn’t have left the country.’ Pictured: Mr Morrison in Victoria on January 3, 2020