Saturday 20th of April 2024
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as he bullshits his way through the haze of crap, don't let him get away with it...

panoply  There is scarcely a city where evidence of the destruction isn’t palpable.
A thick black blanket of acrid smoke hangs over Sydney, Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Perth, causing respiratory issues and fears of water contamination, and filling hospital emergency units, while black ash adorns the sand dunes of our most famous tourist beaches. 

 

In response, the PM reportedly whisked his family away — far, far away from dangerous smoke inhalation and sullied water supplies. On a business class flight. To Hawaii. On holiday.

This may seem reasonable. After all, the PM hasn’t had a break since winning the election, when he took the fam to Fiji in June. And before that, when he took off to Christmas Island — oh wait, that was a $185 million photo opportunity.

All clearly well-deserved, since Morrison has been working so hard to set a new record for the shortest parliamentary sitting time.

What other possible courses of action could the leader of a nation faced with this bushfire emergency take?

HOW GOOD ARE FIRIES?!

Here are 11 suggestions for what Morrison might have done instead of running away:

  1. visit a bushfire site to listen, learn and glean first-hand knowledge of the crisis, not just take pics and tell the firefighters they're "amazing";
  2. declare a state of emergency;
  3. listen to emergency service personnel to make informed decisions on what is required;
  4. give immediate and sufficient monetary aid and resources for emergency services in a coordinated national response;
  5. ensure the needs of all firefighting personnel and volunteers are met;
  6. accept all offered assistance, including help from overseas;
  7. give immediate aid to affected families;
  8. accept that his Government’s policies are exacerbating the risk, frequency and intensity of bushfire events;
  9. declare a climate emergency;
  10. act to reduce carbon emissions; and
  11. formulate a long-term strategy – incorporating action on anthropogenic climate change – to deal with future events.

Back in 1952, when the Great Smog descended upon London (coincidentally also a by-product of burning coal), Winston Churchill was slow to act. As thousands died from inhaling the poisonous air, he relented, however, taking legislative measures to ensure such a calamity would never be repeated.

In Australia, the devastating Black Saturday fires of 2009 occurred during the time of the Rudd Government. In response, Prime Minister Rudd gave $10 million emergency assistance to bushfire victims, made available immediately. He deployed the Australian Defence Force for recovery efforts. He visited bushfire sites. He met with emergency services leaders. He graciously accepted help from U.S. firefighting agencies. Admittedly, the Rudd Government could have done more to deal with climate change, but at least it acknowledged that global warming required addressing.

HOW GOOD IS CRICKET?!

Today, as Australia faces extraordinary fire activity and braces for worse to come as summer intensifies, what did our climate change-denying PM actually do?

Prime Minister Scott Morrison:

  1. obfuscated, ignored, denied and gave perfunctory responses to any and all questions about the fires, insisting all that could be done was being done;
  2. dispatched climate-denying disciple Angus Taylor to the Paris talks to ensure the merry path of climate denial is upheld;
  3. rejected additional help;
  4. tried to deflect attention away from the billowing smoke and raging flames by making soothing “thoughts and prayers” comments about a disaster on foreign shores — in this case, New Zealand;
  5. made a “one-off” $11 million commitment for firefighting aircraft, while ignoring a 12-month old plea from emergency service departments for ongoing fire-fighting resources;
  6. persisted with ignorant spruiking of the merits of coal to all within earshot while ignoring scientific and emergency services advice, advice from most of the rest of the world and the smoke before his very eyes;
  7. attempted to inform the rest of the world that they’re all wrong – including rejecting a damning report ranking Australia near last of 57 countries on climate change action – and his Government right to ignore the climate emergency;
  8. said it was okay that volunteer firefighters were exhausted because they “wanted to be there” and therefore, were happy to be exhausted;
  9. told the firies to cheer up and watch the cricket;
  10. rushed to introduce a religious freedom bill, of course (!); and
  11. avoided bushfire sites (like most people might avoid defecating in their pants at a remote McDonald’s) by escaping with his family out of harm’s way to a luxury island resort.
Read more:
https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/11-things-sco...

never been like this...

You can hear the terror and the frustration in this video. 

These fires – they are different. It’s not just authorities saying it. It’s those on the ground, the “quiet Australians” who have lived through previous seasons, but not like this.

Which is why politicians saying they’ve seen smoke haze in Sydney before, or that we’ve always had fires, or quoting Dorothea Mackellar is not good enough, on any measure.

 

Read more:

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2019/dec/22/nsw-fires-li...

burnt off the map...

The small village of Balmoral southwest of Sydney has been all but wiped out by the Green Wattle Creek firestorm that roared through the area twice in three days.

The community was already reeling after being hit on Thursday when the flames returned on Saturday as the state faced catastrophic fire danger.

“We’ve got the devastating news there’s not much left in the town of Balmoral,” Premier Gladys Berejiklian said in nearby Picton on Sunday.

“Very sad to hear that. Many residents have had that news in the last little while. Communities like Buxton and others have also been very hard hit.”

 

Read more:

https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/state/nsw/2019/12/22/fires-destroys-balm...

... and as ostraya burns...

Storms Elsa and Fabian leave nine dead across southern Europe

Seven of the deaths from two severe storms were reported in Spain and two in Portugal. Corsica was cut off from mainland Europe and a mini-tornado destroyed 20 homes in southern France.

The death toll from fierce back-to-back storms pummeling Spain, Portugal and France has risen to nine as the region reels from more powerful winds and flooding.

The death of a fisherman in Catalonia, who was swept away by strong waves in the Mediterranean, brought the number killed up to nine since Storm Elsa whipped across from Wednesday to Friday. Seven of the deaths have been in Spain and two in Portugal.

 

 

Reaad more:

https://www.dw.com/en/storms-elsa-and-fabian-leave-nine-dead-across-sout...

 

Some towns in Europe that used to have at least a month of snow, haven't see snow in more than 35 years... Global warming is here...

merry xmas...


 

upgrading security of worshipping delusion...

 

Scott Morrison’s church receives $110,000 government grant


The money headed for the PM's church will help pay for security cameras, video intercoms and a security guard.


In March, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced his government had allocated $55 million to community grants to upgrade security at places of worship around Australia. 

So we noted with interest the recipient of one such grant recently was Morrison’s own church, Horizon.

According to the federal government’s public grant list, Horizon Church was awarded $110,000 from the Safer Communities Fund, which is intended to help “protect children who are at risk of attack, harassment or violence stemming from racial or religious intolerance”. 

Horizon Church’s grant will go towards the installation of 18 fixed security cameras, 13 security lights, video intercoms to three designated areas, two security and alarm systems, and the employment of a security guard at the church. 

In the latest round of grants, recipients included synagogues, other Christian churches, an Islamic school in Sydney, and non-religious organisations including a social justice theatre company in Adelaide (where it will be used on a program aimed at reducing racial intolerance).

 

Read more:https://www.crikey.com.au/2019/12/20/scott-morrisons-church-receives-government-grant/

 

Upgrading security of worshipping delusion, while the rest of real Australia burns... Good one Scottie — beam me up...

tiktiktok...

Young Australians on social media are mocking Scott Morrison and expressing their anger over his six-day holiday to Hawaii during Australia’s bushfire crisis.

Morrison returned to work on Sunday, cutting his personal family holiday short by a day, after transferring responsibilities to the deputy prime minister, Michael McCormack, last Monday. On Friday, the prime minister announced he would return early after the deaths of two firefighters, and said he “deeply regrets any offence caused” by the holiday.

But his absence, and his lack of action on climate change, had already become a meme on Facebook, satirical news websites and TikTok, the video app popular among teenagers and younger users.

 

Read more:

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/dec/23/australian-teens-...

 

 

Read from top.

 

Read also: 100 home have been lost in bushfires across new south wales since friday (3 days ago)...

 

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/dec/24/home-affairs-warn...

 

 

 

half a barrel of burnt nothing for some...

Volunteer firefighters who are also Federal Government employees will be given four weeks' paid leave in addition to existing entitlements to help contain the nation's bushfire catastrophe.

Key points:
  • Federal Government workers who volunteer as firefighters will receive four weeks' paid leave
  • The announcement by Prime Minister Scott Morrison follows days of calls for greater support for firefighters
  • The current bushfire season has started earlier than previous years and is forecast to last longer

 

The announcement by Prime Minister Scott Morrison follows weeks of intense fires burning across the country, and escalating calls for additional support for volunteer firefighters.

"With bushfire seasons starting earlier, one of the things I've heard on the ground is that some people are dipping into their other leave entitlements to stay out there battling blazes," Mr Morrison said.

"Today's announcement is about ensuring our volunteer firefighters can keep focused on the job at hand."

Labor leader Anthony Albanese welcomed the decision but called for more financial support for firefighters.

"It's good that federal public servants will receive the same conditions currently enjoyed by Army reservists, but many volunteer firefighters will not be assisted by this decision," he said. 

"Many private sector workers, self-employed workers, contractors and family business owners have been fighting fires, not just for days or weeks, but for months.

 

Read more:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-12-24/firefighters-public-service-leave...

 

Is Scumdingdongson the full quid? The government should pay ALL the firefighters the same, for the same number of days spent fighting HIS fires. They are his because Scumboofheadogson has not a single clue about global warming and does not want to know... and does not want to do anything of consequences about it...

back on the saddle...

back on the saddle

 


your government had abandoned you...

by Richard Flanagan

The return of Nero was scripted by Scotty from Marketing and embellished and blown up by his colleagues in Publicity over at News Corp.

Admittedly, as some may have whispered at his office’s Xmas drinks, Scott really only had one line in copywriting, but it had in the past worked well – or well enough.

These days though all his old lines were becoming national jokes so well known even Lara Bingle was in on them.

And no matter how many cuddles would be splashed in coming days over every News Corp paper as our Prime Minister would be photographed with the bereaved and the exhausted, the soot smeared and the tear stained, none of it seemed to quite paper over the growing sense of moral failure at our nation’s centre.

The worry was Scott – who had worked so hard on his image, even inventing his own bizarre moniker, ScoMo – might now be on the way to becoming the national joke himself. Engadine Scott. Smoko. Scummo. Sooty. Smirko. The quiet Hawaiian.

Aloha? Was anyone home?

No. Australia’s answer to the Griswolds had been on Christmas vacation in Hawaii, inadvertently feeding the nation some of the most insulting images it has suffered since the days of Aboriginal ash trays: Scott in boardies, arms around some beery mates, throwing a hang loose shaka while homes burnt and people died. Scott and Jenny at a beachside café, checking, yes, their phones. Scott, alone.

And it was this last image that perhaps reveals more about where Scott was and where we had got to as a nation.

scummo

The café looked joyless and Scott looked overwhelmingly sad and lost.

At some point, a leader and his nation had lost sight of each other. Scott was texting, not waving; for reasons that escaped him for much of the week away the nation was burning, not cheering.

It was a problem. It was, it had to be said, a growing problem.

His return – what should have been a triumph, what should have been moving, what should have been a victory of faux humility the likes of which hadn’t been witnessed since his comrade-in-flames Rupert Murdoch fronted an English parliamentary committee investigating the horrors of his journalists’ phone hacking, and declared that it was the humblest day of his life – wasn’t working.

Scott was similarly sorry.

He invoked his wife more, one suspects, as protection so any who criticised his decision to take a holiday was criticising his family who were, of course, private and off bounds except for when Scott made them public and in bounds – just like his religion.

It was confusing, one thing meaning another thing and nothing all at the same time. That was Scotty from Marketing though. He and Jenny were sorry. He understood. And so on.

Somehow it felt as hollow as did a nation that had slowly been brought to the realisation by Scott’s holiday that it was led by people who seemed to care little about the national tragedy that was affecting millions, to say nothing of the dead, the newly homeless, the devastated business and lives, the continuing terror that still has months to be endured and hopefully survived.

His ‘everybloke’ lines were beginning to approach panicked derangement (going to Hawaii was like taking a plumbing contract on a Friday afternoon?) and every second item trending on social media seemed to involve some further humiliating take down of the Prime Minister. 

There was something vaguely Ceausescu-like about a complacent leader coming out on a platform to be cheered, only to be met with boos. His masks of concern and compassion couldn’t hold a candle to the grief and rage that was everywhere.

Almost every journalist had got the holiday to Hawaii wrong. It wasn’t the issue, they told Australia.

Australia begged to disagree.

It was the very heart of the issue.

Was the country run by leaders or by perk bludgers permanently on undeclared leave? It humiliated people to be reminded that no matter what they suffered and what they felt, no matter what they feared nor what greater horrors today awaited tomorrow, there now seemed only one certainty: Your government had abandoned you.

 

Read more:

https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/people/2019/12/24/richard-flanagan-scott-morrison-hawaii-bushfires-gaslighting/