In the face of a bushfire catastrophe, our national conversation is still run by politics
ABCThe Eyre Highway reopened on Friday after being closed for 12 days because of bushfires. 10 years of climate policy inertia Photo shows An illustration featuring Tony Abbott, Andrew Robb, Malcolm Turnbull and Kevin Rudd Ten years ago one man's plan blew apart Australia's two great parties irrevocably just as they teetered toward consensus on climate change, the most divisive issue of the Australian political century. On Melbourne radio on Friday, for example, he was asked whether this might be the new normal — very long fire seasons, affecting many different parts of the country — which might require a new permanent mechanism to deal with it These were obviously issues to be considered, Scott Morrison said. Shockwaves keep going wider The economic impact of these fires has not been limited this time around to people who have lost homes or businesses, or even small communities. Morrison's fires response has put his political judgement in question Within the Government, there is widespread acknowledgement that Scott Morrison's Midas touch has gone missing, writes David Speers.
History of this topic
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