Just how blind to reality are these people who currently strut the stage as elected Members of Parliament, selected to govern Australia?
Grieving relatives of those firefighters and other citizens who have died in the current devastating fires, plus all the farmers, business owners and residents whose homes, other property and businesses have gone up in flames, deserve much better than a few hundred dollars and prayers.
The world stared in dumb disbelief when Craig Kelly was interviewed on British Television, with his crude and ill-informed criticism of the incredibly well-qualified physicist, who knows more about accurate weather forecasting than Kelly will ever know about any subject under the sun.
The time delay between statements and response made it appear that the interviewers were talking over Kelly – which, to some extent they probably were, to try to interrupt the flow of uninformed nonsense he was spouting.
Most informed Australians would have cringed in utter shame at the stupidity and ignorance he portrayed.
In recent days there has been criticism of the way the Murdoch papers have been misreporting climate change issues on their front pages, and in seeking the above video, I came across this example!
Didn’t Murdoch recently state that his organisation had no climate deniers?
I feel that the Australian bush-fires have alerted many parts of the world to how dedicated we must be in taking action to tackle the Climate Emergency.
Handing out money, without rapidly and thoroughly assessing priorities in relation to recovery from the devastation, is a very poor look from a government which has always tried to brainwash us into believing that they are better managers of the economy than anyone else.
Whole industries like tourism have received an incredibly serious blow. Not only are beauty spots going to be a lot less attractive for a long time, but tourist accommodation, if it has not been destroyed, is not going to have visitors knocking on the doors in significant numbers, either!
Plus, so much agricultural land, already damaged because of water woes in the Murray Darlin Basin, has been devastated, while feed vital stocks have been devoured by flames.
We do not need a Royal Commission anything like as much as we need an ICAC, in order to investigate the extent to which Government Ministers have been derelict in their duty in consequence of political donations and lobbying from the coal and fossil fuels industries.
Back in April, when retired expert Fire Chiefs sought to warn of pending danger, because of the narrowing window of opportunity for preparation for the next fire season, our Prime Minister refused to meet with them.
What utter arrogance!
He has no grasp of his role. If a fire starts in NSW and travels across a mythical border into Victoria, who is responsible for it? And if fire crews can work across State borders, does that not indicate very clearly that the situation requires national coordination? And major assets like water-bombing planes should be available to all states at need.
The fact that such a high proportion of our firefighters are volunteers is utterly amazing, but to have a Prime Minister who says they do not require compensation payments because ‘they want to be out there’ is mind-blowingly gauche! They offer the country a level of service which Scott Morrison could never aspire to and our gratitude to them is as great as is our condemnation of his failings. I bet he claims every cent he can justify for expenses, despite his having a substantial income.
During the last election campaign, about the only Coalition member in evidence, here, there, and everywhere, was Scott Morrison, yet, when this dire crisis began, he was not only not in evidence, his office even refused to inform us where he was!
His promise to return as soon as possible, once he finally realised that he was in the wrong place, was immediately broken, because he could have been back at least 24 hours earlier.
Apart from Kelly’s woeful performance, few other Coalition members have made any appearance in public, just a few being dragged along on Morrison’s coattails while he rushes from here to there for photo ops in his usual seeking-the-limelight style!
Oh yes! The temporarily Acting Prime Minister did speak up once during the PM’s absence, but we are grateful it was only once!
Given his Ministry responsibilities, I think many are curious that Peter Dutton, a formerly eager aspirant for the post of PM, appears to have vanished into the ether. It appears the actual PM does not believe in an ‘all hands on deck’ approach, or maybe he just does not want to share the limelight.
They have had a much-shortened amount of sitting time this last 12 months and it would be good to see them all hard at work, seeking solutions through genuine debate. Sorry! Another pipe dream!
I was delighted, in a very unkind way, when the less than welcoming reception he received on visits to some devastated areas led to his rapid withdrawal to limit the unwelcome publicity which has gone viral.
As pointed out in references to his earlier career, he lacks staying power and when the going gets tough, he is off to new endeavours – only this time he is forced to take on a job he does not want and which, frankly, many of us believe he is not competent to do.
Instead of muttering about Royal Commissions, he should have already established a non-partisan Recovery Commission, stacked with all relevant experts from CSIRO, universities, business and industry and have already declared policy to cease all subsidies to fossil fuel companies and discontinue support for the development of new mines like Adani.
The other incredibly important issue needing urgent attention is water.
A Recovery Commission should already be discussing the viability of constructing desalination plants all around our shoreline, because not only are we running out of water, more importantly we are facing a future with seriously polluted water.
The massive destruction of animal and plant life has left the ground covered with soot and decaying bodies, which will necessarily pollute such water supplies which we do have.
To allow miners and frackers to operate using scarce water resources is criminal.
All of these issues need really urgent attention and one person cannot begin to cover all that is necessary.
Sorry, ScoMo – you need to share the glory and just maybe some really competent people could be allowed to pick up the threads! If you choose well, you might, eventually, deserve our thanks – but I am not holding my breath!
Once more – this is my Resolution:
“I will do everything in my power to enable Australia to be restored to responsible government.”
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Yep, Way past time to take Australia back, and give it to real people.
Scotty did establish a National Bushfire Recovery Agency – and put his mate Andrew Colvin in charge. I am not sure what expertise another copper can bring to that job but hey, who needs experts?
We have had a succession of shitheaded nobodies, ignorant corporate bumboys, self deluding bowelfuls of bile and bullshit, and we are sick of it, of having garbage manifestations and not expert, honest, experienced, active people in office in public life. Whether we talk of The Head Moron, Mc Cromagnon from Wagga, Gladys the squawking squint, Abbott the Manly masturbator, Joyce the intoxicated inserter, Hanson the horrible hennaheaded hag or any of the other depressing mediaeval, primitive savages, we are UNHAPPY…
The more I read comments from apologists for Morrisons abysmal poor judgement and misinformed and outright deceitful lies perpetrated and exacerbated by main stream and social media about man made climate change the more I despair for Australia and the worlds future.
Set up a RC and you don’t have to answer questions . All under sub judiciary.
Morrison will take advice from one source only.
And that is the echo chamber that is hie invisible friend.
#KayeLee
The royal Commission allows Scottie to give another high paid junket to yet another mate like Colvin. And so it goes on.
RosemaryJ36, I understand the demand for numerous desalination plants around the coast but that is an ultra-expensive solution to an intermittent problem.
Perhaps the optimal solution is seen in the MDB as mobile telephone switches on each and every pump that transmits a signal to a central compliance office when the pump is turn both on and off. This is presently used in Queensland, up-stream from the NW NSW alleged water thieves exposed by Four Corners and well known locally for decades. How do you grow a bumper cotton crop in a “no pump” year?
Then add sufficient compliance inspectors and helicopter resources for rapid inspection of suspect pumps, with any convictions receiving serious prison time.
Neither of these suggestions will be implemented because 4/168 water licence holders control about 75% of MDB irrigation flows and it seems that a regular political donation to the nat$ you have for screwing the nation prevents any judicial intervention. Meanwhile any other flows available are snapped up by mining interests at ultra-premium prices that exclude farming operations.
On the east coast there is more precipitation and so more water storages may be the solution, provided the politicians do NOT “steal” water for agri-corporates as has happened with the Malpas Dam drinking water supply for Armidale that the nat$ have allowed to be pumped directly into the Costas Tomato Farm Guyra in a $13 MILLION taxpayer funded pipeline while Armidale ratepayers struggle on Level 5 Water Restrictions. What quantum of future political donations does this example of political largesse buy?
Remember Barnyard Joke represents the nat$ in New England (plus himself) and is keen to reverse the flow of east-bound rivers over the range to provide water for the developing COAL industry on the Western Slopes and Plains North of Gunnedah NSW. Don’t you worry about the impact on east coast fisheries.
Why is Morrison not being held to account for failure to act on this plan.
Government buried climate risk action plan
James FernyhoughReporter
Jan 11, 2020
A federal government plan to prepare for the dire effects of climate change-related natural disasters was left to gather dust in the Department of Home Affairs for 1½ years before catastrophic bushfires hit last month.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction Framework warned the changing climate was exposing the country to natural disasters on ‘‘unimagined scales, in unprecedented combinations and in unexpected locations’’…….
The government framework laid out a blueprint for a nationally co-ordinated pre-emptive response to the known risks, including increased investment in resilience projects, more research on the nature of risks, a clear accountability regime and a national implementation plan to be published last year
https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/government-buried-climate-risk-action-plan-20200110-p53qeg
The Action Plan
https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/emergency/files/national-disaster-risk-reduction-framework.pdf
The Editorial in the Murdoch WE Australian this weekend claims that its “factual account” (about arsonists and hazard removal and how the Coalition since the Howard era has ‘accepted the need to respond to global warming’) has been ‘misrepresented’.
All this, the Editorial claims, is “a bid to replay the May election and get a different result. There is a belief that The Australian – having predicted the result – is somehow complicit in driving policies that promote devastating bushfires.”
Does the Editor mean by ‘complicit’ something about publishing sceptic/denier statements almost daily?
Or its stance on coal being so essential to our economy?
Or the Coalition’s Murdoch approved, weak self-appointed carbon mitigation target?
Or the propaganda campaign waged by Clive Palmer on piss-coloured pages in the Murdoch press?
The Editor claims Australians are ‘smarter than that’. If he is right, Murdoch is in big trouble.
K.L., I’m surprised scummo didn’t put his hillsong mates in charge, then they could have bled off ALL the money on “salaries” and “equipment” just like all the other ‘help agencies’ scummo set up for his romo mates.
It’s astonishing how this arsonist thing has taken off when the fire services and police, who are the people who actually know, both deny it.
Only about 1 per cent of the land burnt in NSW this bushfire season can be officially attributed to arson. In Victoria it’s 0.03 per cent. None of SA’s deadliest or most destructive fires are being treated as suspicious.
The fires have been mainly attributed to lightning strikes and a few to fallen power lines.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-11/australias-fires-reveal-arson-not-a-major-cause/11855022
But hey, Murdoch thinks otherwise, forcing another one of his employees to quit.
“I have been severely impacted by the coverage of News Corp publications in relation to the fires, in particular the misinformation campaign that has tried to divert attention away from the real issue which is climate change to rather focus on arson (including misrepresenting facts),” she said.
“I find it unconscionable to continue working for this company, knowing I am contributing to the spread of climate change denial and lies. The reporting I have witnessed in The Australian, The Daily Telegraph and Herald Sun is not only irresponsible, but dangerous and damaging to our communities and beautiful planet that needs us more than ever to acknowledge the destruction we have caused and start doing something about it.”
https://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/dangerous-misinformation-news-corp-employee-s-fire-coverage-email-20200110-p53qel.html
Bring on an Independent ICAC with teeth….yeah right.
It suits the Murdoch media to have Australians direct their dismay, anger, disgust against “arsonists” rather than the politicians with all the power and all of the money and with the ability to have listened, learned and prepared.
Not only the Murdoch media et al, but the whole of the fossil fuels industrial cohort.
The mainstream commercial media serve as their propaganda mouthpieces and politicians as their operatives.
As they say; “Same old; same old.”
Established wealth and power determined to not only maintain their holdings, but equally determined to increase them wherever and whenever possible.
The government and its puppet masters have a deeply alternative real agenda to the one presented tot the public.
And if the whole nation turns and dies of thirst, it will not matter even an iota to them.
I say this based on the evidence of the conduct of populist conservatism over the last few months alone. If any sort of regret or and sense of reality had seeped through it would have by now. This morning’s interview between the PM and Speers let alone the antics of Australian MSM drawn attention to by others here, must demonstrate that what has happened is not accidental but a perverse mixture of crank ideology and cold blooded greed.
$5 million coal promotion plot
But Kaye, that is just a fly speck on the accounts sheet compared to the $12Billion or so which they recieve in turns of “export incentives” etc.
The bastards are costing us heaps in many more ways than just one.
Cut the subsidies – that will save the “surplus” and pay a lot towards bushfire remediation.
The silence of the usual suspects possibly reflects some frantic development, in the background, of a media PR strategy to deflect any meaningful action…….
Re:
Noble sentiments. And while street protests and the like do have some limited effects and affects, surely there must be better ways. The last, mass protest I attended was in February 2003 when 100 000 people (contested number) marched in Brisbane against Australia’s participation in the Iraq War. It was a typical hot sunshiny day. Not pleasant weather to be out and about.
http://blogs.slq.qld.gov.au/jol/2015/11/04/2003-anti-war-protest-in-brisbane-history-in-pictures/
Turned out it was a complete waste of time (if measured by the expected outcome) because we did go to war in Iraq and the last time I looked we were still there. And while I’m not opposed to marches, demonstrations and the like – being an activist from the Joh years – I know there has to be better (structural) ways for citizens to express their views and achieve a much more lasting outcome. Otherwise any changes will be temporary. Yes a battle or two might be won but not the essential war will go on and on. Let’s get to the stage where street protests and the like are not necessary – because we have structural mechanisms that n
make them superfluous to requirements. Just a historical curiosity.