When Bob Carr proclaimed vast tracts national parks he did nothing to manage their ever-mounting fuel loads. Now we have the result: firestorms that roar out of the greenies' notional 'wilderness' to ravage the wildlife they claim to care about, plus farms, livelihoods and entire communities

Once upon a time local fire brigades kept their communities safe with controlled burns that reduced fuel loads and rejuvenated the bush, just as Aborigines had done for millennia. Then came the eco-theorists and their allies, the pen-pushers and builders of bureaucratic empires. Now no one is safe

Slick websites, feel-good boilerplate instead of specific grades on report cards, one of any teacher's most useful tools discarded -- this is what passes for education in our bureacratised state systems. Is it any wonder the latest NAPLAN scores were so dismal?

The Climate Council, where Tim Flannery hangs his hat these days, has issued a "research paper" that insists we can limit bushfires by banning coal mines and slashing CO2 emissions. Well they would say that. After battling greens and distant bureaucrats, a veteran firefighter knows better