Albanese’s climate sideshow is short on hard facts

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese tours the Grampians fire area and part of the Grampians blaze as seen by CFA crews in the Pomonal area.

Here’s a weather fact. Climate trends happen over decades not half-terms of a federal government.

For Anthony Albanese to claim that natural disasters have become more frequent and more intense under his prime ministership suggests our leaders are losing all sense of perspective.

While it may be true that Mr Albanese has visited more natural disasters in the past two years than he did previously, this does not prove anything more substantial than this is what PM’s are required to do. Just ask Scott Morrison, who failed to attend the 2019 bushfires and never recovered.

Mr Albanese is correct to say we live in a country that has harsh conditions. But his observation that they are becoming more frequent and more intense, while an article of faith for many, is not necessarily supported by the facts. It will be many years before a proper analysis can be made on whether this is true or not.

That said, Australia must always be prepared for the worst. Several years of flooding rains since the last major bushfire season will inevitably worsen the bushfire risk when conditions permit. It should not be forgotten that the 2019 fires occurred after an almost decade-long period of drought.

Years of rain has recharged the environment and resulted in an abundance of regrowth.

The enduring cycle of drought and flooding rains will not be broken by climate change. Proper planning on where we allow new housing and infrastructure to be built and how we lessen the risk in natural events through pre-disaster management is what leaders must concern themselves with.

New disaster payments and claims of a new normal are merely a sideshow in the natural cycle.