Photo: abc.net.au
“We won’t embrace reckless targets and abandon our traditional industries that would risk Australian jobs while having no meaningful impact on the global climate.” Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison
Australia has been reluctant to engage climate change as politicians play to captains of industry and look to past glories of trade. Australia has been tardy on carbon emissions treating them with disdain and suspicion. The Prime Minister went on holiday amidst the national fire crisis, was slow to lead on the issue when he finally decided there was a crisis and came home, and though has flown over the sites closest, has not been on the ground very much, deadpanning the fires as a “backdrop to the cricket.” He was slow to deploy military assets. But the critical issue is that he’s not leading.
Perhaps He Prayed
Like a rabbit in the spotlight
he froze, glazed,
dithering and uncertain,
but hey, it’s summer
which is meant to be fun,
so he smiled and said strange words,
warm platitudes he’d heard from others
a generation ago,
all christmassy and matey,
don’t worry mate, she’ll be right,
so he did a little speech
just like the queen
but with no content
wittering on about the Aussie spirit,
and volunteers doing it for free,
then he lolled about with cricket players
and held a dinner party,
but that’s far safer than trying to
find Mallacoota or Batemans Bay
and stand with the widow,
the injured, and the bereft
in the scarred and murdered land,
where we hold solemn farewells
for flora and fauna,
what now your lump of coal
and disdain for wind turbines,
but you just can’t say the words
that really matter.
©Paul Vincent Cannon
Paul, pvcann.com
parallax 
He sounds like a clone of our president and I’m guessing maybe the UK’s PM. Is this the current version of Nero fiddling while Rome (or parts of Australia or California) burn to the ground?
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He is In some ways similar and comes from that side of politics and that mentality. Yes, there’s a cartoon of the PM as Nero, sad that they don’t even see it.
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True believers can be incredibly and willfully blind.
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yes, so childish and blind, at the cost of so much.
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I think God heared so many prayers from such different sides. He cant even recognise one of them.
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I agree Michael
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Our President has made incredibly progress in a lot of areas. Why the attitude that he does nothing? May Australia be so fortunate. And maybe UK also. He has had a very short time for you to have labeled him as do nothing already. Methinks we must have had minds made up before these men has a chance. Or is global warming the only issue by which they are judged?: Nice poem, however, Paul. Words are much easier to come by than actions. Hey I’m a friend blogger to you all. 😀
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Sadly Oneta, the public record shows the president to be not what he seems, I struggle with his attitude to women, the environment, and the now documented multitude of lies, so I guess I’m judging him on integrity which is critical for me. Same with our leader, who is a weak leader and blind to refugees, women, and so many issues. Boris is an overprivileged yob in my view. I think for me the editorial in Christianity Today last week sums it up, that these leaders lack a moral compass, they are indeed immoral, but somehow they bewitch people to support them. I find that deeply disturbing. Thank you for reading and responding to the poem 🙂 Yes, and friends can have different views.
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What is it that gets this type if person in office, just false promises and money?
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Puppets of the real power, the rich and famous run the country.
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Guess that’s true everywhere
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I think so, money is the real power in both our countries, it makes politicians weak.
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So very very scary and sad and infuriating.
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It really is, I think in part that’s why the politicians have frozen – they’re scared, but they were elected to lead, so they should call on the community and make a move.
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Trump’s trips to Mar-a-Lago have cost over 64 million so far…what is happening to our world?
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Good grief, that’s obscene, yes, what is happening? Where are the selfless leaders who engaged crises?
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Powerful perspective on truly tragic events and dangers, Paul. Sending loving, healing thoughts to you and all in Australia.
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Many thanks Carol, it is the worst I’ve seen it.
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You have been in my thoughts when I see the news. Where are you in relation to the fires, Paul?
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I’m no where near the current fires, the distance between New York and Los Angeles. So on our eastern seaboard. We’ve had two nasty ones here in the West already but nothing like the current ones in the east. We had a devastating fire near here three years ago which wiped out an entire town. Ours come in late January, February, when the summer thunderstorms come. The loss of rare species is uppermost in my mind and the death of so many creatures. Very sad.
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Thank you for helping me understand the geography in Australia and more about where you are located. It’s hard for me to get a sense of where events are happening and what is actually going on from the news…
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News bites are hopeless and names foreign, same happens in reverse for me. My pleasure.
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Shameful . . .
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Absolutely. The current lot don’t seem to know how to selflessly lead.
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Not to be cynical or anything, but I can’t think of any politician that knows how to selflessly lead.
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Me neither, which is deeply troubling.
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I sometimes wonder if there are any “It’s about us” leaders left. The “All about me” team is doing us in.
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Yes, as you say, for me that is exactly the problem, I live in hope.
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If we lose hope, they win.
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Yes, and they will not ultimately win.
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A 2020 year full of achievements on all levels! Happy Birthday!
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Thank you, yes a year of potential as we move forward. Best wishes
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How many thousands of people are now out of work because fire destroyed the places they worked?
We no longer make our own products (no whitegoods, no vehicles, no steelworks), and he seems to have forgotten that we no longer have ‘traditional industries’.
Power is fleeting, life is short — and memories are long, especially where spineless pollies are concerned.
I am so angry at the idiot mentioned – is he so deaf and blind that he can’t see or hear? What was that old saying? Close the mouth and open the ears in order to know what surrounds.
I am very afraid for all the people I know all along the south coast, all through Gippsland, all over this country where fires are destroying lives and dreams …
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I so agree, if he came here I’d slap him, I wouldn’t be able to help myself, blind and deaf indeed. The other aspect is species loss too, especially rare flora listed in those areas, and not the loss of trees albeit our lungs.
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The tip of the earth-berg
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Yes 😦
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Cage, we still do have traditional industries. We make glass, aluminium alumina, concrete, paper. Paper is going to be a problem because the softwood plantations were gutted in these fires. We have two steelworks (I think Bluescope is still operating at Port Kembla) and there is still a steelworks at Whyalla. They use a lot of power. I note that the owner of the Whyalla Steelworks is plans to invest in Australia’s biggest solar farm (according to Ross Garnaut). Fugitive emissions from coal seam gas are pushing up our emissions. It seems the world wants more of our gas. Then there is coal. Not making excuses for our leader, but it is complicated. Maybe some of those industries will no longer be viable without “big” power. Who knows? But we have no choice but to cut emissions quickly and as is evident now, drastically, if this planet is to survive with us on it. The choices become starker and more expensive, the longer we delay. I’m not making excuses for the leader. It is hard to go at it when you’re competitors are not doing the same. However, the choice is simple to me, we need to cut otherwise we will have no economy left at all. Sorry for butting in.
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You’re welcome Tracy, yes, what a mess with emissions, but hey, we all need to just take a Box and calm down, apparently.
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I don’t suppose there are those in our government that think this Tribulation. That would just be too horrendous for words. Is this why words are carefully chosen, not for the general population but for those allies that made the ascension possible. Eek, I’ve just creeped myself out.
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I was thinking the same way. Did you hear his faux pas? He was speaking of the NSW governor and referred to them as gov. Houston as in Brian of Hillsong Houston. Gasp. All this won’t matter because Jesus is coming and he’ll fix everything. Gasp.
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I didn’t hear that because I didn’t listen to it. Perhaps, not listening has been my mistake because in doing so I may have misinterpreted the agenda.
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He’s clearly out of his depth. I wouldn’t bother listening it’s awful and embarrassing.
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It is a matter of perspective I guess.
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Yes indeed. I think one day he’ll look back and wonder.
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Perhaps his children might ask whether he did everything he possibly could to protect the Australian people and future generations.
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I was thinking that too, I saw a family photo this morn which sparked that same thought. Thank you for the synergy Tracy, hope you can breathe up there, it looks thick over Canberra on the radar.
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The smoke is unbearable. I suppose I shall to venture out tomorrow to try and find P2 facemasks. They have been sold out for some time, but we will need them when we have to defend out home. There is no stopping these fires and they are coming over those mountains for sure, and I bet much faster than is predicted. I hope you’re okay and supplies are still getting into your town. It is a real battle here to keep the highways open. Shows you just how vulnerable our supply chains are.
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The Eyre Highway is still closed. There’s a fire north of perth but only little ones down here so far this season. I sure hope your prediction is proven wrong, horrible.
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We shall see.
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😦
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well aimed shot at a parasite, he has zero leadership qualities and even less ability as a human bean! Insensitive snot should spend a day with our firefighters then I’m sure they’d receive more resources.
You are so right todays faux leaders were selected by those with real power and excessive wealth because they are mere puppets, unable to think or act for the people who foolishly elected them. It freaks me out to wonder where all this is going …
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Makes my blood boil, I keep hoping for a “we” leader rather than a “me” leader.
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did my justice fiction this morning around this issue … I believe it’s an orchestrated thing!
We need to take action coz those in power will only allow puppets in!
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Muppets voting for puppets 🙂
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I feel the frustration. Hope things improve Paul.
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I do too, but I can’t see any leadership hope, it’s an I, Me, Mine world in politics. Thank you VJ
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I agree. Things need to change.
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Very soon too.
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not just in Australia but across the world Paul, those voted into power to protect and govern run at the first sight of trouble, so frustrating and rude! so sorry to read about this devastation, be safe.
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We’re completely safe at present as we’re in the West, thank you Gina.
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You captured that wonderfully, Paul. Sadly, it’s an attitude which is all too prevalent in politicians across the world, whose eyes look no further that the next election, and industrialists whose eyes are focused only on the bottom line. Perhaps there is some hope in the power of our environmentalist youth?
Glad to hear you’re okay where you are.
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Quite safe here, yes, hope in our youth, thank you Chris.
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Reblogged this on The Reluctant Poet and commented:
Australia is burning! Please keep Australia in your prayers!!
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The worst on record.
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Thanks for the reasoned response. We will remain unconvinced of the other side.
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🙂
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It’s so unfortunate most politicians have no common sense and/or sense of responsibility.
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Absolutely Eugenia, we are living in a time of no integrity in my view.
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Mine too!
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Thank you for this great post! I really enjoyed reading it! I have recently published an article on my blog regarding my thoughts on Scott Morrison and his leadership during Australia’s bushfire crisis. If you have time, it would be great if you could check out my post as I would be really interested to hear your thoughts! Thanks 🙂
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