What I would like to know about the causes, effects, management and avoidance of bushfires....
- Government and the various different fire services are clear...this needs to go down to an opertional level so that the different elements of the response are effectively co-ordinated
- Is this properly financed....
- Have we properly explored the indigenous approach to managing these issues...how do they apply in the context of the current climate conditions and the nature of our occupation of Australia.....even if Dark Emu is proved right about the nature of the indigenous activity, we live in a different way to the indigenous population..
- How do these fires start...what can we do to change that?
- Have we made the right investment in fire-fighting equipment and training, do we have access to the best available technology....
- Yes, we are having a Royal Commission but I struggle to see this how this responds before the 2020 fire season is upon us? If that's right, what’s the2020 plan?
- Clearly the mandate etc of the Royal Commission had to be stated widely and political considerations removed from the process and outcomes. Would like to see some commentary on this...
- Are there parts of Australia in which it is now too risky to live? Are we exploring this question. Do we need to change the way we live in certain parts of Australia...do we need newbuilding code setc
- Climate change is much a wider issue but exactly how exactly are changes in our climate and weather patterns creating the circumstances for the extremes of these fires. What are we going to do about this? Let’s hear from the scientists and other relevant professionals on this please...not well meaning and/or deliberately mis-leading comments (which just feed the polarisation engine) from politicians and other non-experts....let’s then have a bi-partisan acceptance of the core approach to dealing with the issue of the fires as a slightly more pressing aspect of the wider debate
- Can we ensure we have transparency on all aid efforts....we read criticism and defences of these activities but the point is the monies need to flow to the affected communities in a sensible manner....let’s make sure the efforts and outcomes are transparently reported and explained across government and private aid.
- To ensure we can all see who is who in the zoo and ensure that the debate is fair nd open, we need a range of protections including full transparency of lobbying spend, full transparency of funding of think tanks and academics, transparency of political donations and clear rules preventing retired politicians accepting roles which directly or indirectly involve lobbying (in my view, for 5 years). I am happy to restrict this to climate change related activity but there reallyis no basis for such a limitation in an open democracy.