THE COMMENTARIAT This tragic bushfire crisis is our Pearl Harbor moment ($) — Eytan Lenko (The Australian): “The 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor marked the moment American citizens stopped seeing World War II as a distant threat and it became clear that not being involved was not enough to keep Americans safe. It hit home that, whether they previously believed it or not, the US was facing an existential threat that was coming for them. The devastation of lives, communities, animals and our economy caused by the climate-driven fires have now shown that climate change threatens our security and way of life. Summer in Australia will never be the same again.” Is the summer of our economic growth over? — Peter Harris (Sydney Morning Herald): “A decade ago, The Economist editorialised about the Australian economic miracle, how we were at our best in a crisis but otherwise took less than full advantage of prosperity. This was due recognition for our past leaders, who created confidence less by media management and more by their ability to smell the smoke and act before damage became too great. Today, not so much.” Few have achieved as much as Tasmanian Premier Will Hodgman ($) – Matthew Denholm (The Australian): “Will Hodgman’s decision to quit was a genuine shock, not only to the public and press but also to his colleagues, who learned of it only hours beforehand. It is a most unusual political exit: no knives in the back, no rumours or speculation, no undermining. Instead, Tasmanians have seen a popular, successful premier leave on his own terms and for his own reasons.” | 