{"id":3245,"date":"2020-01-13T23:24:28","date_gmt":"2020-01-13T15:24:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dingo.news\/voice\/?p=3245"},"modified":"2020-11-30T05:20:56","modified_gmt":"2020-11-29T21:20:56","slug":"the-government-is-guilty-of-criminal-neglect-but-its-not-alone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dingo.news\/voice\/the-government-is-guilty-of-criminal-neglect-but-its-not-alone\/","title":{"rendered":"The government is guilty of criminal neglect. But it\u2019s not alone"},"content":{"rendered":"
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(Image: AAP Image\/Mick Tsikas)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n


\nWhile Scott Morrison deserves to bear the brunt of criticism for the bushfire catastrophe, it is a disaster a generation in the making – Bernard Keane
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Bernard Keane<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Jan 13, 2020 Politics<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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For decades, Australia\u2019s governing class \u2014 politicians, policymakers, economists, journalists, business leaders \u2014 have patted themselves on the back for their success in the core business of public policy: the unprecedented global feat of nearly three decades of economic growth, including avoiding the 2008 global recession.<\/span><\/p>\n

While they were achieving that, however, they were also preparing a climate catastrophe that would cost the lives of, so far, 28 Australians, inflict an unimaginable toll on the country\u2019s ecosystems, impose colossal health costs on the residents of our largest cities and inflict tens of billions in economic costs.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s the greatest policy failure of a generation, much worse than the debacle of the Iraq War or the early nineties recession. And no one has any excuses. This summer\u2019s catastrophe \u2014 which will be a forerunner of similar summers to come \u2014 is exactly what scientists have repeatedly, for decades, warned would happen.<\/span><\/p>\n

Scott Morrison is bearing the brunt of the blame. That\u2019s entirely reasonable. Even putting aside his climate denialism and his enthusiasm for coal, his government is guilty of criminal neglect in its refusal to properly prepare for a catastrophic summer: emergency strategies left to gather dust<\/a> (yet another stuff-up by Home Affairs), fire experts ignored<\/a>, requests for additional funding rejected<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

To cover his government\u2019s negligence, Morrison has repeatedly resorted to blatant lies \u2014 about linking bushfires with climate change<\/a>, about the role of backburning<\/a>, about calling out the ADF<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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