Today is forty years since the devastating #AshWednesday #bushfire in south-western Victoria, Australia that killed 75 people around #MtGambier, #Geelong and the Western Victorian coast.

I was in grade prep, nearly 4 years old, and it was the only time my Mum kept me home from school. I remember the red dust on our old weatherboard house - an ominous, ashy glitter.

Little were we to know that just 26 years later, in 2009, Black Saturday would make Ash Wednesday pale in comparison. Geelong hit 48 C on Black Saturday. It was too hot to breathe outside.

The towns that were affected by Ash Wednesday are now home to tens of thousands of people - Anglesea, Torquay, Jan Juc, Winch, Deans Marsh - and the #Otways are overdue for a burn.

Is your bushfire plan up to date?

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-16/ash-wednesday-40-years-on/101896046

"A newer, more accurate method for calculating methane emissions from offshore oil and gas production suggests that the United Kingdom severely underestimates its greenhouse gas emissions. Researchers conclude that as much as five times more methane is being leaked from oil and gas production than reported."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/01/230127131215.htm

Remember when we were all in this together? "That unlikely state of togetherness did not last long. Most of us emerged the next year eager to get on with our lives. Some chose not to get vaccinated. Many stopped wearing masks in public places. And that left people who are immunocompromised, disabled or elderly fending for their own safety." #wearamask

The loneliness of being immunocompromised in the age of #COVID19

https://www.latimes.com/california/newsletter/2023-02-07/the-loneliness-of-being-immunocompromised-in-the-age-of-covid-19-group-therapy

The biggest problem with the Voice in my eyes is people don't understand how our constitution works.

The major issue is people envision the constitution as being akin to the US constitution. While many of the ideas are based on the US constitution, we did not have to rework the source of power and legitimacy from the crown to the people.

So our constitution is more a definition on what the three tranches of the government can and can not do. There is no bill of rights as we as Australian can still draw our rights all the way back to before the Norman Invasion.

So, the Voice. Introducing the Voice requires modifications to be made to s51. This outlines what the Federal Government can legislate. At the moment s51(xxvi) aka the Racism powers was created to allow White Australia policy. It was far later used to take responsibility for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander away from the states.

Now I argue that s51(xxvi) can create the voice right now, but the Racism power is a rather horrid provision. It is only now used in what can be concidered positive way, but the argument to strike the power is a good one. A better way is for a new provision enabling legislation for First Australians with consulting with the Voice.

But no matter how the Voice is added to s51, it does not force parliament to enact laws, only it can do so. A Voice can still be removed or defunded by parliament.

Adding permanent funding and powers via constitution breaks the purpose of the constitution