Australia Is On Fire & We Can’t Breathe But Prime Minister Scott Morrison Just Fucked Off To Hawaii

He's a Pentecostal to boot. The only Pentecostal I have met preached to me about the evils of Catholicism, only the evils he raged about weren't the usual Church sins of covering up child abuse and internalised sexism and homophobia but something about how nuns and priests cannibalise babies.

What a cunt.

The fires have been underway for over a month. If the state governments and the federal emergency services haven't figured out what to do by now another politician doing photo-ops for the morning news pretending to play fireman isn't going to make much difference.

He's a dopey cunt. And he looks like a dopey cunt. And his wife is a homely common frau. And his kids look special needs, especially the fat red head

Why hasn't his god put out the fires and stopped the drought?

Bush fires occur every summer, regardless of which political party is stuffing up Oz.

[post redacted because linking to dailymail.co.uk clearly indicates that the poster is either a troll or an idiot (probably both, honestly.) Our advice is that you just ignore this poster but whatever you do, don't click on any link to this putrid rag.]

The elites know exactly what's going on with climate change, Scott Morrison is one of them, so what you are seeing here is the first hint of whats to come over the next few decades, the world will burn and the elites will fly away to a safe place, probably New Zealand.

Not a good look for ScoMo.

Or for Oz.

But then again, isn’t he the Oz version of Trump-Lite?

Australia is buying Hawaii. You heard it here first.

That Rupert Murdoch cunt closed down the pineapple industry in Hawaii to give Austrailian plantations the market.

CUNT.

He says he's coming back. Maybe he read this.

Anyone who uses the word "elite" as a noun should be preemptively auto-enrolled the Darwin Awards.

Scott Morrison is common and dumb, that's why he's prime minster, he represents 90% of the voting population. He doesn't' intimidate them because he's stupid, unsophisticated and dull. And he's a christian, shudder.

Not just a Christian. A Pentecostal.

Did they get gay marriage in the end in Ozzy?

I was watching the news last night and it looked to me like Australia could be just abandoned if it keeps going like this. The fires are ALL OVER the country. It's not just some ZONE.

Here's a map of the literal hotspots.

There are fires every summer. But it's never been this bad. Two weeks ago the closest fire was 300km away and there was about 2m visibility in my town that day.

The drought has never been this bad, either. Even the drought in the early/mid 00s which lasted years had more rain. The dams are basically dry. For the last 5 days it has been heavily overcast and even cold. But it doesn't rain. A few hours later the winds take the clouds away.

And of course once the rains do come, there will be floods.

The government defunded the rural fire service. Now the community is doing a fantastic job with donations but that's exactly what Scott Morrison wants. He is also refusing to accept international help but during Christmas a bunch of Canadian and American fire fighters are giving up their own holidays to give our firies a break.

[Quote] The elites know exactly what's going on with climate change, Scott Morrison is one of them, so what you are seeing here is the first hint of whats to come over the next few decades, the world will burn and the elites will fly away to a safe place, probably New Zealand.

I like this writer.

Hota test month ever...

I’d hate to be the orderly who had to tell Helen Reddy about this.

Why do Strayans keep voting for fanatical right wingers who don't represent them?

Most Aussies believe in the empirical reality of man-made climate change and support the recognition of same-sex marriage.

WTF do you keep voting for these venal redneck bogan mouth-breathers?

Something very fishy is going on.

It's just plain odd that so many fires have broken out in the same and adjoining areas. Also, it was only a month ago that Premier of NSW, Gladys Berejiklian, announced a 75% CUT to funding for fire services in her State. Why would she do this coming up to fire season? This made sure that there wouldn't be enough available resources to deal with the usual fire season, let alone this atrocity.

There's now a conspiracy theory re the company Consolidated Land and Rail Australia Pty Ltd, or CLARA for short. Check out their website and see how the path of the fires is pretty damn similar to the path of their proposed fast rail and building of their "Smart Cities". After reading it all I kinda feel sick. It makes sense why ScoMo would go off on a holiday as these fires may have been planned and he knew and couldn't stomach being here.

I guess that no one will know in the future people are told that they cannot rebuild on their own property sites. That will be the give away that these fires were planned and executed by our narcissistic leaders.

WTF is happening to our World? Why aren't there any visionary leaders?

Terrorists?

[quote]WTF is happening to our World? Why aren't there any visionary leaders?

There are no visionaries, PERIOD.

[quote]Why do Strayans keep voting for fanatical right wingers who don't represent them?

Because the thin veneer of "mateship" is a social balm that hides our deep suspicion of our fellow Australian and any non-Anglo/Celtic newcomers who stick out like tall poppies and not instantly conforming by talking ocker, becoming obsessed with AFL and cricket and binge drinking. (Unless they're hot Asian chicks or hot black guys.)

Also we're full of small-medium sized business who don't want to pay tax. Or pay our employees.

And we want our own tax breaks and but are deeply suspicious of other people claiming theirs, even as we commiserate about the 4 hours queues at Centrelink.

r23, he was the best of a bad lot. His opposition, Bill Shorten, was far worse. Malcolm Turnbull, his predecessor, was a decent prime minster. He got us same sex marriage but he had to honour the promise of a previous Christian prime minster who vowed to give the Australian people a say through a plebiscite, despite the cost and pain it caused. Turnbull was intelligent, sophisticated and accomplished and very wealthy but his own party envied his success, as did a lot of Australians, and they got rid of him. Pure tall poppy syndrome. No one envies Scott Morrison, he's a dope. SloMo. There is still a large contingent of older conservatives and country conservatives in Australia who prevent progress. We're not a large country in population.

I'm worried about the wildlife and especially the Koalas. People can still vacation in Hawaii. The wildlife can't get away from this man-made mayhem and don't deserve this.

There are no visionaries, PERIOD.

HOW DARE YOU!!

[quote]Bill Shorten, was far worse.

All things being equal, Shorten as dislikeable as Morrison.

The Coalition won because of refugee fatigue (yes, everyone thinks the conditions at Manus Island are shameful, equally, everything is kind of sick of beig tut-tutted at by Behrouz Boochani because everyone has their own problems) and because of their highly successful bullshit smear campaign the Labor policy for franking credits.

[quote]Premier of NSW, Gladys Berejiklian

Power hungry, petit bourgeouis cat lady who neither wants to have sex nor wants women to have access to abortions. But even though she cuts public spending she doesn't significantly raise taxes, so people vote for her.

It's not that she doesn't want to have sex, but no man would want to have sex with her.

It's not like any of Australia's many lesbians would either.

The PM could not have known of this emergency before planning his family vacation but the right thing to do is head back to his country during this time of crisis. these fucks want to be in charge but don't want the burden of accountability. It is in very poor form to be vacationing while your country endures this crisis.

Mayor Bloomberg disappeared during a major snowstorm while in office. A few people died when they could not be reached by EMS, the streets obstructed by snow and abandoned cars . The deputy mayor was also MIA. Bloomberg as on his private island in the Caribbean and could not be reached. Big snow storms were not a major issue until Bloomberg installed himself in Gracie mansion. After the blowback of the poor planning, if there is three inches of snow, trains are shut down and the shops closed. This is a legacy of overreaction to the deaths caused by poor management of the Bloomberg administration.

If it were an election year you can bet SloMo would have stayed home with his garden hose, comforting those who lost their homes with his happy clappy empathy.

Is Hawaii a popular vacation spot for Australians? Especially during their summer? Seems odd.

SloMo needs to understand that his role is not a 9-5 , 5 day a week job. It is a 24/7 365 day job for which he is paid more than adequately. If he thinks he can flitter off overseas and forget his responsibilities like that he should never have put his hand up for the top job.

When I was in Australia I was frequently told that most bush fires are started deliberately, there seem to be some real psychopaths out there. I mean, who would do this to their own country?

over 100 fires were deliberately lit recently

[Quote]If he thinks he can flitter off overseas and forget his responsibilities like that he should never have put his hand up for the top job.

Haha. Could you please comment on the American President who only watched TV, tweets and jets off to his golf resorts on taxpayer's dime? All this executive time and corrupt phone calls are obviously exhausting.

working on fixing this intolerable predicament, r40.

by fix, I mean giving that creature the boot.

We know how you feel, Australia. Our mayor fucked off on a presidential campaign tour. (But at least we weren’t on fire.)

Stay safe.

How is this going effect the soap operas?

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says volunteer firefighters with public sector jobs will get four weeks' paid leave

SloMo thinks we're as stupid as he is. You're telling me his PR people DIDN'T tell him to do this to rehabilitate his reputation? He's so transparent.

Marriage is between a man and a woman.

Comedian Judith Lucy on climate change.

Its fucking hilarious.

Marriage is between a man and a woman.

Judith Lucy, who thinks anything think said in a sarcastic voice is HILARIOUS!

#omit think

Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit

I don't understand sarcasm

I love Oz. Be safe Aussie friends. And thanks for teaching me about the cunt you have for a leader. Shall we trade?

It's raining here where I am in Australia and we greatly need it. If it's raining come tomorrow morning you just know the religious nuts will be calling it a Christmas miracle.

t46 Is Judith Lucy planning to audition to play The Queen in the next season of The Crown?

Parched South Australian koala stops cyclists for a drinkie poo outside Adelaide. 🐨

R36 no, that would be Bali.

These fires in Australia are mind boggling. Would've consumed entire countries in other parts of the world.

What R2 and R4 said.

Hissing gay kangaroo tries to kill frau

Only sociopaths get into politics. Why should we be surprised when they cluelessly shower themselves with goodies?

I'm close to one of the affected areas, although still safe from the actual blaze thank goodness (then again the amount of smoke inhalation and pollution is probably not doing me any good anyway). When I get off the train from work lately all this ash and debris flies into my mouth. All my colleagues have red eyes and croaky voices.

My neighbour actually evacuated her house today (in our area it has been suggested although not officially requested/warned yet). I'd never even met her before, but she introduced herself to me, gave me her phone number, and basically said 'good luck'. Pretty ominous signs... I think what people aren't realising is that this is what it's going to be like ALL the time in the next few years. Not just in hot countries, or in concentrated areas, or in regions with a lot of trees. Everybody is going to be experiencing these extreme weather conditions, all over the world. And our world leaders are ignoring it and going on holidays....

The fires are 3km away and not out of control. We’ve pulled out the photo albums of with pics of passed on parents, got our IDs, cables and chargers, jeans, wool clothing and boots in a bag in the hall.

Just seen this thread and bookmarked it. Very interesting to hear updates from the fire affected regions.

This is one thing the damp UK will never have to worry about.

Where are the visionaries indeed. :(

It would help if more people cared.

At least, there isn't an acrid smell in the air where I am. And, the sky is actually bordering on blue today (been uncommon this Summer). Poor Canberra and elsewhere where the air quality index has been shit for a while (shit meaning hazardous to one's health). And all the people who have lost their homes ...

R62, I’ve been through a few earthquakes and a flood that damaged a lot of my house. Here’s a few more suggestions about what you can pack:

At least three or more utility bills with your name and street address on them. If you have a partner or roommate make sure to include bills with their names as well. This is how you prove residency for the insurance or government aid. A deed or tax bill doesn’t prove residency, it proves ownership.

Make sure to get the deed to the house and insurance papers and car registration and proof of car ownership. The insurance company and others often want the original paper copies, at least to look at in person. If you have time, get a second set of copies to give to the insurance company to keep, and keep one set for yourself.

If you have an inflatable mattress or something to sleep on, put that in a plastic bag and leave it in the car, with bedding or sleeping bags. If you end up sleeping in someone’s living room, or renting an apartment with no furniture temporarily, it will save a lot of money and time if you’ve got something to sleep on. Insurance companies don’t pay to replace everything, and you will be short. For that reason, also bring out of season clothes and shoes, at least enough for work. The time rolls around before you know it, and you need work clothes. Don’t forget to bring your extra eyeglasses and medications. It’s best to pack a backpack with essentials and keep it near you. Wear closed toe shoes. Try not to wear clothes with a lot of polyester, it melts. Even a few sparks or embers in your direction could cause a burn if polyester melts on your skin. If you can stick to natural fibers, it’s better.

Try to get names, addresses and phone numbers of your insurance agents, the landlord, the home owner’s association or anybody else that is involved with your property ahead of time. Carry extra chargers with you wherever you go and leave some at work. Assume your phone may go dead if you end up in a shelter, so have a charged battery chargers for phones with you and carry a paper notebook of your essential phone numbers or internet addresses you need with you. Make sure you’ve got your work number and the boss’ cell number in advance. If that place is damaged or you can’t get to work, you need to be able tell somebody where you are.

FYI, fireproof safes in that situation probably won’t work, they’d stay hot too long. But if you want to use one, remove all plastic folders or anything plastic from the inside, it will melt. Papers only, nothing else.

Bring coins for vending machines and the laundromat or parking space. If you can’t find any place inside to charge your phone or get food, hospital lobbies and waiting rooms are good for that. And there’s vending machines and a cafeteria, and a safe place to wait for someone to get you if necessary.

If you can get extra car air filters, get some and keep changing them. Your filter right now is probably filthy. If you’re still in your house, get some extra A/C filters and keep checking them.

You’re a gem, r66 xxx

Another reason I mention hospitals is because the city emergency plan in most cases is to save the hospital at all costs. They may have to let your house go, but they’ll try to fight fire near the hospital as long as they can, because it’s very hard to evacuate patients and some are too sick to be moved. Hospitals also have generators, and if there has to be planned power failures, hospitals are the last place they will shut off. Hospital employees are also trained for emergency situations and might be able to get better news about your area in real time. It’s always better to leave the area if you can, but if you’re stuck, head for the hospital. There’s also basements and a below ground emergency bomb shelter under the hospital, usually.

Poor people in Cobargo. Good on them for not accepting Morrison’s empty platitudes.

A couple more things, get cash money in bills no larger than twenties. If the power is out, ATMs may not work or businesses may not be willing or able to take cards. People may all go to the ATMs at once and they may end up out of cash. If the bank is closed too, that could be bad. Keep a full tank of gas.

Keep a flashlight close by the bed with fresh batteries. If you leave, take it with you, if there’s an extra, leave it in the car. You never know when you’ll need one.

R68 The public hospitals in Australia are in a mess due to 25 years of Federal and State neglect.

Scott Morrison and Gladys Berejiklian are state and federal leaders of the Liberal Party Australia - liberal as in neo-liberal, low taxes for corporations, low government investment and low public spending.

What is particularly galling about the underfunded rural fire stations is that what their party wants is them to be run and funded by volunteers. They want sympathetic members of the public to pay for food, water, donate fuel and buy masks and equipment. This disaster totally fits in with their philosophy.

This shows the scale of the problem: On twitter, Russell Crowe did a massive drive over the course of a couple of days and raised $400,000. Massive kudos to him. Divided between all the effected rural fire stations in New South Wales, they got about $5k each.

The city fire stations? Fully funded, naturally.

This is why I no longer give to charity for causes which should be funded by government. It just encourages more disaster capitalism. The only way to kill this is to kill this.

R66 etc - we also live at the base of a small mountain escarpment which is smooshed against the sea. We are 5 minutes by car to the local hospital and 10 minutes to the ocean.

If worse comes to the worst we will have to load up with drinks and drive to the beach and stay put like they did in Greece.

Tourism is really being affected. Is the very popular Great Barrier Reef area okay?

R74, hope the fire misses you and you don't have to evacuate to the beach. In Greece the fire burned right down to the water, so take inflatables in case you have to take refuge in the sea.

R75 No. There are few bushfires in that region but The Great Barrier Reef, which they will soon have have re-name as The Former Great Barrier Reef is in the process of dying. Coral bleaching is taking hold at an alarming rate as it is in most coral reefs around the globe.

There is another conspiracy theory that they are trying to bring our population down by masking it under natural disasters. Scott Morrison is nothing but a fat, useless, homophobic, corrupt motherfucker. I'm glad the residents told him he wasn't welcome and that he was a fuckwit, because it's true. It was definitely just a matter of keeping up appearances. He hasn't done ANYTHING good for our country!

Half a billion animals have been reported to have died already, and there are still 100 fires burning at once. Without the help from the Canadians and the Americans we wouldn't have a chance, because of the above-mentioned funding cuts to our fire brigade, thanks to fat fuck scumbag Scomo.

I think people have just been desensitised. I can't imagine the reaction being the same if this was 25 years ago.

Can’t anything be done to get rid of him?

R78: It's actually 15 million acres of land and counting that have been completely burnt so far here. It's 10-15 times more and worse than the Californian fires and the Amazon fire in 2019. The Amazon fire wiped out 310,000 acres.

It sounds as though ScoMo and his Hawaii escapade is akin to Bush and his Texas vacation with Hurricane Katrina. Hopefully Aussies will remember his evasion and skipping away when the country he leads was apocalyptically on fire.

ScoMo’s excuses about holding a “hose” and defensive postures upon his return look pretty poor from afar. Not to mention the footage of him grabbing constituents’ hands when they refused to shake his.....not quite, but veering close to the level of personal assault.

Add to the mix his exclusive parties on New Year’s Eve and Day (something to do with cricket), and his refusal to address climate change when it is hitting Oz HARD now; it all makes him look more and more like the buffoon we have here in The States.

What an idiot.

Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore (aka Sydney Queen of Grog) also needs to go due to her arrogance surrounding the fireworks. She is up for re election this year but to be honest I see her winning, with a reduced majority.

I do appreciate that he is trending on twitter as #ScottyFromMarketing.

Why is that R83?

[quote]ScoMo’s excuses about holding a “hose” and defensive postures upon his return look pretty poor from afar. Not to mention the footage of him grabbing constituents’ hands when they refused to shake his.....not quite, but veering close to the level of personal assault.

Photo Opp Scott. I would have a modicum if respect for him if he engaged the angry fire victims and discussed what he was going to do to help them - any canny politician would - but once someone showed annoyance bad discomfort he dropped their hands and walked away.

He and his fat frump wife are embarrassments.

The fire brigade have a message for Smoco.

R85 yeah I was surprised when I saw him just turning away immediately and walking away whenever anyone disagreed with him.

He's changed no policies or done anything in response to the fires, has he? Does he have any plans at all? Aside from the "volunteer fire fighters with full-time jobs get four weeks paid leave" nonsense. I thought I read he had requested "studies" to be done but surely the government has some of those already since fires are a common event?

I almost buy the conspiracy theory argument. The fact that he headed to Hawaii while the fires had been underway for a month and were getting worse - seems to show he doesnt really give a shit and is just waiting for them to go out normally.

You don't want just volunteer fire stations, either. We have that in the U.S. for most areas esxept major cities and it always seemed criminal to me.

Fire live-blog at The Guardian. In some parts of Victoria it's too late to evacuate.

R88: 100,000 are going to be evacuated from Gippsland.

I'd love it if Scotty from Marketing had tried to shake the hand of our beloved 7-Eleven Pizza Queen.

R87 When I was at uni I was forced into a Newspaper photo opp of staff and students at the opening of a new building. I was a lazy, a solid B+ student but I read as “ethnic” so was put in the front tow. The then Premiere of the state Bob Carr did the round of the front row. When he got to me he shook my hand and asked who I voting for in the next election which was 2 years away. I politely informed him Of my problems with his government and during the cocktail party he pulled me and each person who have him a negative response and one on one tried to convince each of us to vote for him.

I didn’t, as I supported an independent candidate in my seat, but was nonetheless impressed that his commitment to gathering support. I assumed all politicians were like this, until I saw that video of ScoMo walking away from someone who challenged him.

He is a bad politician.

R81 that brought on Kanye West’s rant about George W. Bush not liking black people. Seems a long time ago today!

I remember a report of Condi Rice shoe shopping in New York and being criticised by shoppers.

I'd love to ask SloMo, on camera, live, why his god hasn't broken the drought and put out the fires. I'd love to see the fundy cunt squirm. Margaret Court and Israel Folou will come to his aid and say it's because we legalised same sex marriage

To those above saying Bill Shorten was worse, you're fools. But the print media is COMPLETELY owned by Murdoch and by the Channel Nine company. They character assassinated Shorten in the May election, like the dishonest freaks they are. And now they're not covering the fires because it makes their boy Morrison look bad. The Guardian wrote about that today.

Neither SloMo or Shorten are good. As to who is the worst? SloMo is a deadshit. Even to look at him, he looks slow,

People vote for parties, not necessarily their leaders. At least in Australia.

Under 2019-20 NSW State Budget, Fire and Rescue had its capital expenditure budget cut by $28.5 million or 35 per cent. The Rural Fire Service has its capital expenditure budget cut by $49.9 million or 75 per cent.

Why is Gladys Berejiklian being burned at the stake?!

R96 is right. As well as the wealthy banking classes, lot of blue collar workers vote for the Liberal Party (liberal as in free markets) because they operate as small business owners and don’t want to pay ANY tax and they resent “inner city lefties”.

People were never meant to live in Australia except the Aboriginals who adapted to the hostile weather/environment through thousands of years.

This is a pretty good article on why Australia is where it is today.

Good article, r100.

[quote] lot of blue collar workers vote for the Liberal Party (liberal as in free markets) because they operate as small business owners

Umm, what? Blue collar workers by definition do not own businesses....

Yes they do. Most tradies are freelancers and run one or two man shows. They live in an every man for himself industry.

I have never met a left wing bricklayer or welder.

R103: That explains why the Fascists win so often down there, I guess.

Don't forget Rupert Murdoch and his clan are Australians as well.

This is stressful and heartbreaking. Take Action to help and to change this through POLICY CHANGE. This is how:

Join a Climate Crisis Advocacy Group, such as WWF.

Support Policy Change and Policy Leaders that have clear Climate Crisis Policies. In USA, Bernie Sanders. I like Elizabeth Warren too, though Bernie was first on this.

Donate money to help WWF-Australia deal with the Climate Crisis and help the Koalas too. Click the picture link.

Vote all Climate Change Deniers (the political party to harbors them) out of office.

🙄🙄🙄

New Zealand is covered in smoke because of the fires blazing here in Australia! That is how collosal these fires are that they are able to blanket another country with smoke!!

People who commit arson in Australia need to be put in jail for the rest of their life.

R97 Very true. Despite Scott Morrison's poor leadership in relation to this unfolding tragedy which has been going on across most parts of the country for well over two months it is a state issue and the state Governments (from both major parties) having all been slashing funding to a wide variety of services for decades now. Had they maintained and increased funding this wouldn't be the disaster that it is.

R100 The article is good but it misses a few points. I suppose space didn't permit an examination of 'climate change' political history in the 21st century Australian politics.

Another thing it failed to mention is that had Australia ceased selling coal, other countries would have simply picked up the slack and sold their coal. Its a no win situation when it comes to supply and demand.

Sadly even if Australia had taken action in relation climate change which Kevin Rudd did try to do when he was elected in 2007 (only to have his attempt squashed by Tony Abbott who disposed of then Opposition leader Malcolm Turnbull who was prepared to back Kevin Rudd's ALP on the issue) what is happening now would still be happening. It is going to take a worldwide uniform effort to have any chance of halting climate change and I don't believe mankind is up to the task.

Also the Greens never backed any of the ALPs planned to reduce carbon emissions - the Greens don't know the meaning of compromise and negotiation. Funny how they have all gone into hiding like rats slinking away from a sinking ship.

Call me a cunt but I find it a bit distasteful that some Australians want donations from abroad to fight the fires. Australia is a wealthy country with over 40 billionaires living there (their combined wealth being close to $160B). Get them to help. That said I just saw an Australian posting at Imgur saying the same thing, how non-Australians should rather help poor countries than them, so it's not all Aussies are asking for money.

I keep seeing Aussies bitch about their PM. Why not storm the parliament and show them you've had enough?

And yes yes, nothing is simple, I know.

I agree with every word R112 has said.

Well i guess [italic] every little bit [/italic] helps.....

R114, you have to admit she found a creative way to inspire a significant amount of funds being donated. Good for her.

R115: She's a slut. We don't need slut money.

There is one thing that I really hope happens from this tragedy. I hope that the indigenous people are asked to help manage the land. These people can "read country" and have specific knowledge that we need.

Yeah, I know, it probably won't happen but bloody hell they are the kind of resources we desperately need.

[quote]We don't need slut money.

Then I'll take it.

R111 the point the article was making is that the country is focused on fossil fuels and has not progressed past that or taken risks to build an economy not based on them. So you end up with a people naturally resistant to topics like climate change because they see it as threatening their financial well-being despite the fact that the rest of the first world is shifting in other directions. Not just the lower income workers, but monied interests who spread propaganda as part of the cost of doing business.

So when Turnbull tried to implement some reasonable alterations to this, he got trounced. It's a deeply conservative attitude that is contributing. (It reminds me of the Irish mentality of "it's good enough", frankly).

I agree that it seems frankly ridiculous that people are trying to raise money for Australia when Australia can afford to take care of itself. It's not a third world nation and while donating to wildlife rescues is admirable, donating to firefighters and such is a waste of money that could be going elsewhere.

Morrison is pointedly not doing anything that would solve the problem and is transparently just trying to wait the current fire season out.

R120 He probably has a 2 to 3 month wait at that.

R119 That have been moves toward renewables but they are been undermined by the likes of Tony Abbott the and morons of the LNP. The move to renewable energy should have started to take place 20 years ago but Abbott and the like and undermined it at every opportunity aided by some sections of the media.

The Greens are preoccupied with their rampant anti-semitism. With the environment they have good intentions but no practically solutions.

Anthony Albanese is about the only politication talking any sense but he has an awful lot of bad people behind him.

Australia hasn't had a decent leader with vision since Paul Keating and that it nearly over a quarter of a century ago.

Egypt at the time of the revolution, in 2011. It felt relatively safe though. Kingston in Jamaica in about 1998.

Sydney today is only mid 20s/high 70s for people who can't convert, so a cool change.

Does that mean you all might have a break, R124?

A brief reprieve, R125.

R125: We won't get a break or reprieve until we get significantly high rainfall. The fires are not stopping regardless if our temperature drops a little bit on certain days. We still have another full month of intense Summer weather to go, and we might not be getting any significant rain until April. It's extremely terrible in every way possible.

It’s not the heat that’s a problem, it’s the lack of rain.

[quote] The Greens are preoccupied with their rampant anti-semitism.

The majority of people don’t give a shit either way about Israel.

Can the fires disrupt the Australian Open? This might actually mean more attention as athletes simply can't breathe those levels of toxins and carcinogens and compete effectively. I'm from the Sacramento area in CA and we were covered in all sorts of smoke from Camp and Napa area fires last November. You couldn't see runners, athletes, or even simple people walking about their business without some form of a mask, either high-grade level or something people had from dealing with common viruses, hoping it might keep them safe.

If top-notch athletes refuse to participate due to possibly contaminating themselves with carcinogens, it might spell a death knell to an industry if the continent continues to blaze away due to egregiously bad stewardship from governmental entities. I don't think setting up a charity tennis match could erase any of their blunders.

FFS you Americans are drama queens

[quote]FFS you Americans are drama queens

FFS, whatever creature you purport to be, could you at least elucidate who and why? What kind of drama do you accuse Americans of when your own fucking continent has lost so much in less than one week and in months prior before New Years?

Could you please tell us about the total structural losses since the incendiary began nearly two months ago? Please also include human, cattle, and wildlife losses that will cost your "continent" & your beloved dipshit Scott Morrison who willfully neglected his country & citizenry.

Thank you sir or madam. I am eagerly awaiting a count of the losses that "American drama queens" are concerned about.

Are you an alleged Australian not concerned enough to pick up the slack when foreigners who have had similar experiences have empathy for the millions of losses you will experience down the line? Or are you sequestered in some far away bot farm?

Such a weird fate when expressing concern and empathy earns derision from sociopaths such as you online. Just go to hell with your own "concerns," cunty, cunty, cunty.

You underestimate us. Australians are stoic. We get on with things with little fuss or fanfare. We accept things as they come. We come together, we join forces, we rebuild and carry on. That's what we've always done; through fire, cyclone, flood, drought and war. We don't take ourselves too seriously and we possess a healthy self- deprecating sense of humour. We always bounce back in this unforgiving landscape we call home; a little scarred and weary and perhaps a little wiser, the literal phoenix from the ashes. We will survive this. ​ Having said that, Morrison will get what's coming to him. Australian's don't take well to people like him. Walking away from the people who refused to shake his hand instead of engaging them or emphasising and trying to understand their pain and anger was unAustralian. As a man who professes to be a Christian, he should know better. To quote Gandhi: “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”

R118 her account got shutdown and she's claiming to have raised $500,000.

#empathise

#empathising

That instaho's nose is too long and she's not very pretty. Not sure what straight guys see in girls like her.

So is Assange r105.

Couldn’t agree with you more r115. Where the fuck are Murdoch and that nutcase that was engaged to Mariah. They should be chartering every water bomber on earth to help, but knowing them they’re probably blaming immigrants and refugees for the fires.

It’s devastating about the loss of animal life, however, really horrifying.

R137: Exactly!

R137 since when are straight guys picky??

[quote]Where the fuck are Murdoch and that nutcase that was engaged to Mariah.

Is that the Jeremy Packer thing who was good friends with Tom Cruise and got involved with the Scientology cult.? Two variables that tell us what a useless and selfish human he is. Don't expect much of anything from him. Or the Murdoch clan, including the feckless lesbian model, Sara O'Hare, who married in.

R134: I told you lot that we don't need money from a slut! Of course her account would have got deactivated. None of what she "thought" was a good idea was aboveboard. She is another ugly attention seeking whore and was using a massive crisis to give herself narcissistic attention!

R140: Yes that's true. They will stay with the most fugliest and vilest bitches simply because they a vagina.

[quote] You underestimate us. Australians are stoic. We get on with things with little fuss or fanfare. We accept things as they come. We come together, we join forces, we rebuild and carry on. That's what we've always done; through fire, cyclone, flood, drought and war. We don't take ourselves too seriously...

You certainly take yourself seriously. I’ve never read a longer string of cliches. I’m surprised you didn’t mention Gallipoli, the Eureka Stockade and Ned Kelly.

^ Or Anzac biscuits

Right wingers never do anything at all for the public, why does the stupid public keep voting for these low lives?

Will the Prime Minister be recalled?

R147 He won't be 'recalled'. On what grounds?

We don't need or want another repeat of 1975 thanks.

How has your country helped? What has it done for Australia?

New Zealand sends troops to help with Australian bushfires as Pacific nations offer support. Australia’s neighbouring countries, including New Zealand, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea, have offered support as the country continues to fight massive bushfires burning in New South Wales and Victoria.

Canada and the US are sending professional fire fighters.

[quote] R147 He won't be 'recalled'. On what grounds? We don't need or want another repeat of 1975 thanks

Not R147, but also curious.....

And um, perhaps on the grounds of incompetency (leaving his country while it burns apocalyptically), international pressure (people outside the country appear to be more concerned than Oz’s OWN prime minister, potential physical assault (visibly forcing people to shake his hand then walking away when they attempt to engage him in conversation), generalized stupidity (denying evidence of science, bible-bashing/self-serving mythology, ignoring evidence-building in his continent’s topography, and misuse of public funds for his own benefit (egregious PR ads in the midst of crisis, “Trumping” up the Shark - his plane to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars, yet denying the public funds for fire-fighting, fire protection, etc.....)

And that’s just off the top of my head.....

My comment should have been to R112 not r115

r138

r146, ignorant, bigoted, self-absorbed people with authoritarian leanings elect leaders in their own image.

This debacle has revealed the Australian Prime Minister to the world.

He is the caricature of every worst Australian stereotype come to life - including a nice dash of bible-thumping American proselytizing to boot!

Also what trash goes to Hawaii anymore for family vacations?

[quote] R147 He won't be 'recalled'. On what grounds? We don't need or want another repeat of 1975 thanks.

No, you won’t have a repeat of 1975.

Instead, R178, you are going forward into a future where your continent is being systemically destroyed.

Loss of your national treasure. The Great Barrier Reef.

Loss of your land and habitat. Trees and flora.

Loss of your unique wildlife. The photos are pretty disturbing and the numbers inching up towards a billion are mind-boggling.

Loss of tourism. Those numbers are decreasing.

But you bogans keep on keeping on. Drill, dig and destroy your country, ‘cause there is no going back to 1975.

Although I wish there were.

Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea, two very poor Pacific nations, have offered $250,000 and 1000 soldiers in military support. It is both heartening and heartbreaking.

The Queen should send over some fire fighters but the UK has very few as we don't have any kind of forest fire problem with our damp climate. No fires, earthquakes, hurricanes or tornadoes. The countries who could help are the Mediterranean ones as they fight forest fires all summer. California as well.

What Australia needs, of course, is desalination, like every other country in the world that don’t even live in a desert.

Now New Zealand is on fire.

NZ is usually much colder than NSW so hopefully these won't last. Spain and Greece should send some of their special water gathering planes.

[Quote] The Queen should send over some fire fighters but the UK has very few

Oh none to spare. I see. Too bad, I'm sure the sentiment is enough. I'll let Australia know. Shall I say, Thoughts and Prayers? Maybe I can include a stuffed koala bear. They'll be grateful for the gesture, being in the Commonwealth and all.

I feel your pain. One lost a small portion of one's favourite castle in 1992. But I had many other palaces and castles to live in.

“I would say most people in New Zealand are not prepared at all [for fire],” he said. “People are very prepared for earthquakes and tsunamis and volcanic activity, but I don’t think most people would have thought about fire as a threat. People have always seen it as something that happens in Australia or California or parts of the Mediterranean basin and not something we need to worry about so much.'

NZ is a nightmare place to live.

Scotty From Marketing Rides Again:

He commiserates with Kangaroo Island survivors that at least no lives were lost. No, they remind him, 2 locals died. He meant firefighters. They were firefighters, one whose day job was a being a doctor.

I cannot believe Australian firefighters are volunteers. Not paid workers.

A recipe for disaster.

R166 the rural firefighters are volunteers. The city firefighters are (of course) subsidised.

Have I read correctly that the different states cut rural bush fire services by 75% while cities cut them by 33%? Who's going to answer for this shit fest? It's kind of outrageous that small, impoverished island nations like Papua New Guinea are committing money and troops to such a wealthy nation as Australia (don't you have over 40 billionaires over the per capita average of any Western nation?) What a shit fest that Faux Christian Morrison has to deal with if he wants to be re-elected. What a fucking cunt.

Regional volunteer firefights have had tens of millions of dollars of funding ripped from them by short sighted and stupid State Governments. Given its small population Australia should discard the State Governments and have pretty much everything that the States do done at a federal level. This would also mean that differences in State laws across a whole range of issues can be unified. The local councils could remain as they are looking after trash collection, parks, public toilets, building approvals, etc and local rangers could be given more powers with certain low level criminal offences (littering, jaywalking, bike riding on the footpaths) rather than the police.

Whilst Australia wouldn't save anything on administration by getting rid of State Governments, we would still need people to provide and manage services, we'd save money on a lot of useless politicians. Three levels of Government for 25 million people is ridiculous.

R168 This is R169 we posted at the same time. Thanks for the article.

I actually thought you were answering me, R169! It was all on target. The unnecessary layers of bureaucracy, which in and of itself is repetitive and costly which is why it exists in the first place -- keeping useless apparatchiks in their jobs while they cut vital services...

I didn't realize that AUS has only 25 MIL. I don't know why I thought something more along the lines of UK population. That they're volunteers is even more appalling. A doctor can no longer practice in a rural area? I'm getting emotional, so I need to shut up.

Fuck all the Murdochs

GET SCUMMO OUT.

I've been watching so many videos of people rescuing Koalas lately that I wonder why can't they be saved before they all burn in the bush fires. Isn't there a way to get them off the trees before the fire reaches their habitat? I know fire fighters probably have more important stuff to do, but damn, seeing all these videos of these injured critters is just heartbreaking. They're so slow and helpless. At least kangaroos and other animals can run away and have a chance.

The smoke inhalation is a bigger danger than the fire for the animals.

R172 On the day after major evacuations and at least one death, the front page of The Australian (the NewsCorp non-tabloid)? About Aboriginal alcoholism.

You couldn’t make this up.

How many more humans, animals dead and livelihoods gone as of yet? Any more ScoMo excuses or Newscorp's bleatings about why the ultra-rich such as themselves are exempt from taxation that could have saved rural fire services? Not to mention the dead volunteer doctor who will not be available to help rural families?

How do right wing conservatives fall all over themselves to excuse their unpatriotic, selfish behavior that likely directly led to the deaths of so many humans and Australia's incredible and precious wildlife? Does this mean Sara O'Hare and Lachlan's sex lives will be exposed? Enquiring Minds want to know!!

Of course, they will blame the numerous "firebugs" that lit, but one has to wonder how many were paid plants to excuse the Murdochs' usual selfish, unpatriotic behavior? But regardless of the firebugs, the Murdoch-level rich in AUS are among the most selfish in the world who would have the small, lessers done in before they paid even one cent on the dollar that the government used to stem a national disaster. It's who they are: selfish, fucking cunts who would sacrifice anyone.

Sara's probably going to get a fetching lesbian assassin coming after her soon if Rupert and Lachlan don't smart up their security services and keep her famished fans away.

If you want the background as to why Australia has been so slack on climate change this article (written in November) outlines the origins of that.

Given that they're creating so many fake arsons and arsonists, might as well prove their case and set a proactive 'controlled burning' fires, as they deniers have suggested, around Sutherland on the south side of Sydney, Ku-ring-gai on the north, and the Dandenong Ranges in E Melbourne. On a windy hot day.

Then you might see some attention.

Has the fire season calmed down or got worse?

Morrison looks retarded in the OP photo. The man has no lips whatsoever. The whole shape of his head makes him look like a thalidomide baby.

R181 Its improved in some areas due to milder weather conditions but is expected to flare up again as summer still has nearly 2 more months.

There are times when I totally understand Thanos and would gladly snap my fingers to rid this planet of humans. We bring nothing but destruction and grief to this world.

Feed him to the dingos.

James Murdoch breaks rank with Papa Ru and NewsCorp on climate change.

It rained in Sydney today. It was needed. Every little bit counts. But, the air quality was still at levels of very poor/ unhealthy. And the bushfires still rage on down south.

For the last two months, I'm still shocked that the PM and any leaders whatsoever didn't provide supply centres and actually advise citizens to wear breathing masks on days where the air quality was hazardous. Bizzare.

Shocking. I just don't get it. This is a national emergency.

Australia is as bad on the environment as we (America) are.

What a horrid country.

^What a dumb comment.

R117, humans wiped out almost all of Australia's megafauna and changed landscapes irrevocably through firestick-burning to create grassland for easier hunting. Australia's Aboriginal people knew the land intimately but they were no paragons of sustainable land management. There have been significant rains over NSW and VIC in the past 24 hours. Now the concern is the rain will wash tonnes and tonnes of ash into the river systems and cause mass fish die-offs. What's ominous re ScottyFromMarketing is that his Government's rhetoric around climate change has changed in the past week, but it's changing to talk of adaptation and resilience instead of emissions-reduction and prevention. This Government is DEEP in the pockets of billionaire miners like Gina Rinehart. Rupert Murdoch should die in jail for the part he's played promoting climate change denialism.

Very true r191.

Dark Emu is an essential book about Australian Aboriginal agriculture that uses first person historical sources to debunk many racist myths woven in Australian culture about lazy and non-productive Aborigines from the perspective of natural resources and land management.

The reason Australia thrived before 1788 is because the population has 40,000 years of practices

I’m south of Sydney and while it is storming on and off the first 2 days of it didn’t clear away the smoke; it kind of infused with the water and it was harder than ever breathing.

It is estimated that 90% of the koala population on Kangaroo Island were killed in this bushfires that devastated the island about two weeks ago.

However, it turns out that koalas were introduced to the island and are considered a pest on the island. It's any interesting read.

Now three American firefighters are dead. I’m so sorry.

r192, Dark Emu is based on incredibly shoddy research. I'm an anthropological researcher in Australia and I learned yesterday that one of our most renowned anthropologist/linguists, a man with 40+ years experience working closely with Aboriginal people across Australia, is about to publish a brutal critique of Pascoe's research methodology and conclusions. Australia's pre-contact Aboriginal people knew their country intimately and could survive and thrive in conditions where most would perish, but to argue they were agriculturalists is historical revisionism done for political purposes. There's nothing lazy or unproductive about being a hunter-gatherer society. Of course, then there's Professor Pascoe's dubious claims of Aboriginal ancestry, without which his book wouldn't have received anywhere near the acclaim it has.

No thanks, r196. Your site contains a series of dog whistles. The case against Black Emu is best made from someone else.

From that website, the Yeas:

“However, our children are sacred”

“like-minded, average, normal, ‘Quiet Australians’, from all walks of life, but with a shared interest in amateur Australian history”

Andrew Bolt

Chris Kenny

Daily Mail in the UK

The Conservative Woman UK

The nays:

The Progressive Left media

ABC bias

“not one, professionally qualified academic had stood up in public and condemned the book”

The good black fellas:

“Comments also began to appear in a small way on Twitter, often by Aboriginal people and groups who objected to Bruce Pascoe and his Dark Emu book as much as we did.”

The bad blackfellas:

Bruce Pascoe’s Ancestry controversy

No thanks, r196. Your site contains a series of dog whistles. The case against Black Emu is best made from someone else.

From that website, the Yeas:

“However, our children are sacred”

“like-minded, average, normal, ‘Quiet Australians’, from all walks of life, but with a shared interest in amateur Australian history”

Andrew Bolt

Chris Kenny

Daily Mail in the UK

The Conservative Woman UK

The nays:

The Progressive Left media

ABC bias

“not one, professionally qualified academic had stood up in public and condemned the book”

The good black fellas:

“Comments also began to appear in a small way on Twitter, often by Aboriginal people and groups who objected to Bruce Pascoe and his Dark Emu book as much as we did.”

The bad blackfellas:

Bruce Pascoe’s Ancestry controversy

A continent is dying.

R199, I can't read it because I don't have a subscription. I imagine the irony is asphyxiating.

And we have the likes of John 'The Rodent' Howard, Tony Abbott, Bob Brown (who wouldn't comprise on green gas omission targets) and Christine Milne (see Bob Brown).

And not to mention that Scott Morrison and the State Premiers are all doing shitty job because they did prepare for what everyone knew was coming and they would listen to experts who warned them and because they withdrew tens of millions of dollars in funding to aid volunteers.

Like I said, r197, the case will be made by one of Australia's most prominent anthropological and linguistic researchers - someone who doesn't judge a person's politics before they judge the substance of what they have to say. His work is nearly done and he has a publisher lined up. Pascoe has quoted internet pages over primary sources - he's quoted selectively, interpreted sources VERY selectively, and has misrepresented many of his sources. He's a hack. Which is more likely - that the last century of Australian ethnographers, anthropologists, archaeologists, and historians have conspired to hide the knowledge of pre-contact Aboriginal agriculture from the wider public, or that Pascoe's claims are exaggerated and don't stand up to rigorous scrutiny?

[quote] one of Australia's most prominent anthropological and linguistic researchers - someone who doesn't judge a person's politics before they judge the substance of what they have to say. His work is nearly done and he has a publisher lined up.

Any chance the book is by noted Aborigine hater Keith Windschuttle?

Thanks for the LOLs.

So any critique of Pascoe's research work must come from an "aborigine hater"? Being blinded by political bias is pathetic, no matter what side of the spectrum you fall on. No, it's not Windschuttle. The author is nationally renowned in his field and is someone who has worked closely with Aboriginal communites for DECADES, but is not someone commonly associated with Australia's culture wars, and his critique is purely of Pascoe's woeful and wishful research methodology. Like I said: what's more likely - that over the past century Australian researchers have all been in on this conspiracy of silence and omission, or that Pascoe is misconstruing and misrepresenting evidence to make his grandiose claims?

I think it’s very, very, very likely that the “renowned” author will be heavily promoted by Alan Jones, Andrew Bolt, Miranda Devine and Quadrant.

Flooding is happening, but what a drink of water this has been.

Are all the fires out now?

Some rain came and helped.

kd Lang at the benefit concert, fucking genius she is.

Remember the firey from Nelligen who told the Prime Minister to get fucked?

R207 Yes.

Well, he's been sacked.

[quote]"You're finished because of your allegations and foul language against the prime minister of the country while representing the RFS."

The NSW Rural Fire Service firefighter who gave Prime Minister Scott Morrison a piece of his mind during the bushfire crisis has said he was sacked after he unloaded on television.

Appearing on The Project with his wife Tanya on Sunday night, Paul Parker told about the aftermath to his moment that went viral during Australia’s horror bushfire season.

“The message I got was about time you brought the truck back because we were about to send the police to go look for you,” he told The Project.

“And then there were further comments with gestures and arm movements saying that I’m finished. It’s all over.

“Another captain from another brigade within Batemans Bay came out and I asked him the question, I said: ‘What’s going on?’ He said: ‘You’re finished because of your allegations and foul language against the PM of the country while representing the RFS’.

“Didn’t know you could get sacked from a volunteer organisation but apparently you can.”

After days of battling a raging blaze in Nelligen on the south coast of NSW, Mr Parker had some very choice words for Mr Morrison.

Mr Parker became a household name after ranting on national television about the PM’s lack of support for volunteer firefighters.

Emotionally spent after fighting the never-ending fires peppered across town, Mr Parker drove his fire truck directly over to a 7 News camera crew and told them exactly what he thought of his Prime Minister (no filter).

“Are you from the media? Tell the Prime Minister to go and get f---ed from Nelligen. We really enjoy doing this shit, f---head,” he said.

His words struck a chord with the public, making him an overnight hero. The moment made international news, with some even memorialising his rant in street art.

I though Scott Morrison and the Liberal Party abhor political correctness and love free speech. I look forward to them campaigning for the reinstatement of the firefighter.

Bump