Australians are some of the most community oriented people on Earth. It is estimated that approximately 36 per cent of the adult population of this country is involved in some kind of community work. From local sports club activists to the volunteer fire fighters in rural Australia, volunteering and community involvement is part of what we might call the Australian character.
Viewing it from this perspective, as a conviction and as a deep commitment to help others in time of great need and danger, the prime minister’s decision to do his bit as a volunteer fire fighter in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales last week was welcomed. On a symbolic and on a personal level, what Tony Abbott did was important. Whoever has followed Abbott’s public engagements in the past few decades can see that what he attempted to do, working as a volunteer fire fighter for a number of hours, was more of an act of conviction grown from a set of beliefs that guide his life, and less of a PR image-building stunt.
However, it must also be pointed out that the prime minister is elected to do another job, and that is to govern the country by addressing all major issues, including the issue of climate change. Yes, fighting fires and setting an example on this battle front is important, but others, namely the fire fighters, can do this job much better than Mr Abbott. What is more important for the prime minister and for us, is his views and his policies on climate change, for example, and how these views might affect the lives of all Australians, especially younger generations.
When lives are endangered and houses are destroyed, many consider it to be insensitive to directly link the prime minister and the fires with climate change. The Australian Greens attempted to do that in the last few days and their stand was met with hostility by many. But is this really the case?
Yes, the immediate focus must be on how to educate people to protect themselves and their properties during fires, but is this enough? Is this the only discussion that must take place now or during the next few highly dangerous summer months? I do not think so.
When the new government is determined to dismantle the carbon tax, when science is downgraded, particularly the science that warns us about the dangers of climate change, when global warming is an issue, the government and the prime minister have a lot to answer for. They cannot simply narrow down the scope of their engagement or of public discussion and criticism. Especially when the Climate Institute’s latest annual survey shows that two-thirds of Australians accept climate change is real and is having an impact. Furthermore, the Climate Council established by the new government has also confirmed the link between climate change and extreme fire danger. This is where we should be taking our cues for action from.
This is why it is crucial for the Abbott government to re-examine its commitment to climate change and its position in relation to science and scientific research.
It is important that we use these recurring disasters in order to address issues of national co-ordination and prevention wherever possible.
Bushfires, though, cannot be treated only as natural disasters. Nor is it simply a matter of educating the people.
Climate change, funding of scientific research, the protection of our natural resources including our forests, town planning, are all issues coloured by political priorities and beliefs. A more sensitive and more pro-environmental approach needs to be cultivated by politicians, media, experts and the community if we are to limit the human and the economic costs of bushfires.