As Parker raced from one fire to another, on the brink of exhaustion, he encountered a local television crew and erupted in rage. In the video the crew shot, Parker is seen leaning out of a fire truck, giving a sarcastic thumbs-up, and launching a stream of expletives at the right-wing Prime Minister of Australia, Scott Morrison. "Tell the Prime Minister to go and get fucked, from Nelligen," Parker shouts. He then challenges Morrison to meet him face-to-face. "I've lost seven houses in Nelligan. I'm not going to lose any more," he says. "Tell the P.M. to come and meet me. Paul Parker, in Nelligan. Meet you any day, pal." The video instantly turned Parker into something of a folk hero.