To ask you to pray for the thousands of people trapped on a beach by fires in Victoria?

[TheClaws]

There are 4000 people from the town of Mallacoota, Victoria, Australia, that is currently being destroyed by fire. They most likely won’t have homes to return to. They all have life jackets on ready to take shelter in the water as embers rain down upon them. Fire personnel have just - as I post - told them to get in the water. Can you imagine how they must feel?

Australia at the moment is burning across 4 states. Where I am it is 45c and the smell of smoke is heavy. It is a terrible summer for us.

I'd put the bloody fire chiefs in charge of the country; they seem to be getting on with it.

Failing that, bring back Gillard. I hated some things she did, really she disappointed me in many ways, but she got shit done, she really did.

David Elliott has just wandered back.

He shouldn't have fucking left. My kids are breathing this shit so he can to.

Cold hearted is better than stupid.

David Elliott has just wandered back

Yeah, he can fuck off. Pointless man. Waltzing in to do what ? Stand and not next to Glad ?

Constance is the only member of the NSW Govt who has been getting out there and seems to be striking some appropriate notes. I hate Constance - he's fucked up Sydney with bloody WestConnex etc - but he's not done too badly this week.

*nod

I hope and pray for a miracle. It's just unbearable to see so much of this beautiful country being destroyed and the huge number of animals who have lost their lives. I don't know if it's already been mentioned, but why aren't other countries doing more to help like sending over firefighters and military personnel? Surely with a crisis of this scale, countries all over the world should be doing all they can to help?.

Constance is usually on my shitlist but as you say he at least seems to have read the mood.

THIS is their job. Get in front of the camera, let everyone know what is being done and then fucking do it. We don't NEED comfort. We need resources allocated and information given.

They can do their stupid photos later when the crisis has passed.

Right now, just support the people who are sorting things out and don't get in the fucking way.

Smoko needs to get his arse to Canberra and get to work with that chequebook.

We don't NEED help from other countries.

We NEED our politicians to do their goddamn jobs and use OUR resources.

Also bushfires are a complex beast. You can't just put an urban firefighter in front of a bushfire and expect them to get on with it.

We have flown in specialist teams from the US and Canada and our RFS is magnificent. But they need the back up.

The ADF can only deploy on orders from the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth collects all of the income tax and distributes to the States.

The Commonwealth has the money. And guess who is currently the head of the Commonwealth? Fucking Scott fucking Morrison.

I know absolutely zero about Oz politics, but it sounds as if you all have the same shitshow as UK and USA - ie fuckwits pretending to be in charge, but you have the fires to deal with too... I'll still pray for rain, and safety for people.

Today I'm scared, and I'm not near fires. I'm probably as safe as you can get in AU right now - urban area, any grassfires that start today will probably be under control fairly quickly, a reasonable distance from anticipated spread of fire in Greater Sydney.

But I'm scared. I cannot imagine how people are faring out in places like Cann River.

Yep and we (well not me) fucking voted for them.

Mostly because there wasn't really anyone else. I would love to have someone to vote FOR. Rather than a list of people under "no fucking way".

I am not scared for my (or my family's) personal safety. We are at home today and do back on to the bush. But this is just a house. Have kept the cat in so we can grab her and go. Go bag packed and ready. Plan in place.

why aren't other countries doing more to help like sending over firefighters and military personnel? Surely with a crisis of this scale, countries all over the world should be doing all they can to help?.

There are firefighters from NZ, the USA & Canada helping.

I can't speak for other countries, but NZ is sending firefighters, just as we did last time. Just as OZ sent USAF and police to us in the quakes.

We fight like cats and dogs, but we have each others backs every other time.

Our firefighters are similarly trained - and under fucking paid.

Boris and her Maj could offer some help in the spirit of the Commonwealth. But that only seems to matter WRT foreign visits now. And maybe Australians would tell us to F off anyway, I don't know they dynamic. Still it would be nice to offer at least.

The Australian Government seems to be a bit odd. But what do I know.

I hope everyone will be ok. Some really awful scenes over the last few days and I hope it doesn't get any worse for anyone.

I don't even vote in Oz (just make long visits) and when I did I didn't vote coalition, but I can't help thinking Julie Bishop would be making a much better fist of this crisis than Scomo. Deputy leader for 11 years and shouldered out by the boys every time for the top job.

Seeing Scomo grab unsuspecting evacuees by the left hand when they'd refused his proffered shake with their right was disgusting.

Also disgusted by the deniers saying we get fires every year/the greenies won't let anyone burn off/it's just arsonists/there is no problem.

Someone on FB was even denying that was smoke covering the South Island of NZ.

I despair. I'm in WA and heading for the country tomorrow (going south-east) so a little anxious but not going home without my Esperance fix.

LOL to someone denying the smoke on the south island of NZ. What a fricking tosspot. I'm not there, but I've seen photos from friends and neighbours, and yeah, that wasn't the average January sky.. .

StoppinBy Employer Law. (I worked in HR). I do appreciate though that the length of this crisis does affect small business differently. If you read my post I said ‘up to a point’ and ‘certain types of employees’.

Working day today. 10.30am and it’s already 40c. Not particularly windy yet though. We live backed onto farmland, and it’s somewhat hilly, so I’m always watching that closely. It’s all so brown and dry.

At the moment the main thing the government needs to do is supply food, fuel and water to its army sized group of volunteers and all the people who have been evacuated. That would be an easy army job and the government just needs to provide the money. At the moment local businesses who themselves are likely to go bankrupt because their towns are destroyed are doing this

@TheClaws I think you will find that most vols are from rural country areas and work for either small businesses or themselves so a majority of them will not be getting paid, your original post about them being paid is misleading.

Absolutely horrendous, can’t believe it really. Thinking of all those affected- will be making a donation in the morning. We need to get a handle on climate change, now.

I have relatives in Newcastle, New South Wales. They have packed up their motorhome in case they have to evacuate. Can't imagine how they must be feeling.

I am not scared for my (or my family's) personal safety. We are at home today and do back on to the bush. But this is just a house. Have kept the cat in so we can grab her and go. Go bag packed and ready. Plan in place.

Good luck. My parents had to go in November in the Qld fires and took a similar approach - not worth staying to fight in these conditions. It definitely felt like the evacuations were happening earlier this time.