polli publicity

[Vann]

On Saturday we had 70 acres of our 80 acre lot burnt out...

Wow. So close and I'll bet so worrying.

A week ago we were listening to news broadcasts about your fires, while being rained on here. Would have happily sent those clouds back across the Tasman.

Best wishes to all those affected.

And Merry Christmas to all.

Cheers, Vann.

[A Duke]

Hi,
Why should the current crop of pollies cop the blame? Bush fires are so common that we have a "bush fire season", this should have been sorted a century or two ago, that makes along line of contenders to share the blame.
When I came here I was shocked to learn that something so serious relied so heavily on volunteers.
Regards

[woodPixel]

Rustynail, for your workspace, I'd bet the stress-sweat being thrown from your own body would have been enough to put out that fire. What an insideous choice. I'm very glad you were saved. The firies are real heros. True bloody heros.

Fire is the very worst disaster.

My brother is some form of honcho for National Sparks and Wildfire Service as a team leader/ranger (not exactly sure of title). He's 48 and has always been the thin one of the family, but with the 10 day on/off roster they are having to go elsewhere and fight these monsters... he is all skin and bones. Haggard, drawn and utterly exhausted.

On time off, if there is a bloody great bushfire that requires 14 days off the workforce, you'd think things are PRETTY FECKNG BAD to necessitate two weeks to put it out.... It seems that its within EVERYONE'S interests to galvanise the entire community to deal with the situation. If there is nothing left once the flames are gone, there isn't much business to be done.... 3 days off... hmmm, just a little bit of a bother, but if you NEED 3 WEEKS then well, its not so good, is it?



As for our PM, probably best he stays away. Seems that things run better without him being around anyway. Being out of the country might have been a blessing.

Has anyone considered that his minders and handlers actually SENT him away? He strikes me as a dope. Thick as 20 planks and always terribly confused when normal people are talking. To have him appear at a time of national crisis may in fact have been a disaster in itself!


...

I can't stand the clowns we have in office right now. I've given up on the Australian people to produce true leaders, people with True Honesty and true credibility. Duds. All duds.

[rustynail]

Our local RFS is made up of 75% self employed people. Many of them have been away from their work for over 2 months. No business is going to fair well with that sort of neglect, particularly at this time of year and particularly after such a catastrophic event. Many of our local business have been completely wiped out, so those volunteers who owned them have not only sacrificed their time, they have also lost any way of compensating themselves. If that's fair I'll eat my hat.

[ian]

My brother is some form of honcho for National Sparks and Wildfire Service as a team leader/ranger (not exactly sure of title). He 48 and has always been the thin one of the family, but with the 10 day on/off roster they are having to go elsewhere and fight these monsters... he is all skin and bones. Haggard, drawn and utterly exhausted.

this seems an appropriate time to share this
No, Scott Morrison, my husband does NOT want to be fighting fires this summer! – SMARTER THAN CROWS

[Mr Brush]

Thanks for posting that Ian - very sobering indeed. The disconnect between politics and the real world just keeps growing

[ian]

Maybe the best compromise is to set a limit on the number of "free" days that volunteers should be expected to contribute, this being a number of at least 10-15 days. Beyond that, ALL of them are compensated, whether employed full time, self-employed, or government employed? That helps to preserve the traditional "volunteer" ethos, while also ensuring that nobody is massively out of pocket through volunteering.

However you look at it, the current arrangements are clearly not sustainable.

agree that the current situation is not sustainable ...

however, the "standard" volunteer arrangement of one night per week, one weekend per month and 2 weeks (= half your annual leave entitlement) per year is clearly inadequate in the current situation. Bumping up the leave allowance does nothing to compensate those employed by small business or the self employed. And "compensating" the self employed also does nothing to help. If you're self employed there's only you bringing in any income.


I believe that at its core the problem really relates to the massive downsizing and contracting out of government employment. No longer do you have an employed workforce able to be directed to assist in an emergency. In part the "volunteers" that used to be able to be provided from their secure government employment have been replaced by "independent contractors". There is no longer a pool of readily available volunteers.
I suspect that the situation can only be stabilised by requiring all contractors working on government work to allow all their sub-contractors and sub-sub-sub-contractors to provide their people time off to volunteer.

[woodPixel]

Maybe public servants, being servants OF the public and taking taxes OFF the public, should do what they are told to do?

If the government asks them to put out fires, off they go!

Bugger extra compensation, its like being in the military, even if you maintain typewriters or staple requisition forms for paperclips....there may/will be time a rifle is put in your hands. Its part of the gig.

[AlexS]

The solution to all these problems could lie with a VIABLE opposition party, but just like the UK we don't appear to have one.....

Quite so. Without a good opposition, you won't have a good government.

Re payment for the volunteers, I'm not sure what the solution is. Most people would like them to at least be compensated for any lost income and expenses. Some volunteers are proud of the fact that they are performing a community service and are reluctant to accept payment, but for some there is a significant financial cost. Perhaps Mr Brush's post #29 is a good starting point.

[Lappa]

Maybe public servants, being servants OF the public and taking taxes OFF the public, should do what they are told to do?

If the government asks them to put out fires, off they go!

Bugger extra compensation, its like being in the military, even if you maintain typewriters or staple requisition forms for paperclips....there may/will be time a rifle is put in your hands. Its part of the gig.

Even the military person licking stamps has had some military training. How much fire fighting training have the public servants had?

[woodPixel]

How much fire fighting training have the public servants had?

From the state of our current governments incessant bungling, it would seem thats ALL they do....

[Beardy]

The trouble is Woodpixel the ones before them and no doubt the ones to follow are no better

[damian]

People posting here have very very short memories...

Christmas 74, Gough Whitlam was castigated for buggering off to Europe (the museums in Paris if I recall) and not returning to deal with the aftermath of Cyclone Tracey.
Lance Banard carried the can while Darwin was evacuated.
"The great man" should have caught the first flight back but instead delayed some days before grudgingly deciding to return.

snip..

This business that he's back because of the two fireries killed at Buxton is just garbage.

The key difference between those other situations is they were tactical. These fires have been going since August. Exactly how long does he put off time with his family for a situation he can do nothing about and which is the province of teh states anyway ?

No one likes hearing it but lousy government isn't a product of bad opposition it's a product of a disconnected ignorant and self absorbed electorate.

Remember YOU put all of them there...

I of course don't discriminate, I hate everyone equally...

[Lappa]

Remember YOU put all of them there...
.

I resemble that remark.

None of the candidates I vote for ever get in

[woodPixel]

None of the candidates I vote for ever get in

None Of The Above have never won