“Now there is a fire crisis. A crisis. Time to react. Intense media and social pressure has woken Scott Morrison from his somnambulistic stupor on this issue. He has reacted to the fires scorching Australia,” writes political columnist MICHAEL MOORE. 

THE “boiling-frog syndrome” is plaguing Scott Morrison’s government. It needs to be diagnosed and treated.

The response to the Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) by Health Minister Greg Hunt and Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy has been exemplary. 

The virus has created a crisis with the government reaction being swift and comprehensive. This is the frog thrown into boiling water that leaps from the pot.

The concern with Coronavirus is that it might spread and bring about large numbers of deaths if it is not contained immediately. Protecting the health of Australians and ensuring our health systems are not overloaded is an important motivation for immediate action.

In marked contrast, the urban myth suggests a frog heated slowly until the pot is boiling will simply lie back until it is finally cooked. And so it is with so many policies of current governments.

It has been clear for years that poor diets (high in sugar, fat and salt) are responsible for more and more death and disability in Australia. Poor diet is even in the process of surpassing the impact of tobacco. On this issue, the government has taken some action to reduce the water temperature, but the steps have been small and the impact minimal.

The temperature rises. Despite more and more hospitalisations and deaths through diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer, governments have declined to take effective action. 

Extrapolating from the success of tobacco policy interventions, action could include increased taxation on sugary soft drinks. Additionally, there is clear evidence from the UK and around the world of the positive impact of such taxation on health.

Nowhere is boiling-frog inaction more apparent than in climate change policy. For decades the overwhelming majority of scientists have been warning about the impact of climate change. 

However, it has not been a crisis. Summers have been getting warmer. Average temperatures in Australia (and across the world) have been climbing. Tornadoes, cyclones or hurricanes and other weather events have become more intense.

But the climate, like the water in the frog’s pot, has been increasing at a slow rate.

And now there is a fire crisis. A crisis. Time to react. Intense media and social pressure has woken Scott Morrison from his somnambulistic stupor on this issue. He has reacted to the fires scorching Australia more intensely and more widespread than ever before. 

The government has leapt from the pot and jumped into action. There is financial support, military reserves on the job and international assistance has arrived.

However, our community needs governments that foresee when the heat is being turned up, rather than stoking the fire. Australia needs policies to mitigate against impending crises.

There are more issues on slow heat. Although once Australians were proud of their egalitarian society, the heat is gradually cooking the concept. The rich are getting richer and the poor poorer. 

Our taxation systems are becoming more regressive – and disparity is growing. The Newstart allowance is static in contrast to a steady increase for a small number of wealthy people.

However, the disparity is not just restricted to the poor. Wages have stagnated while prices have climbed. For the average wage earner there has been little joy and little hope for any significant increase. In the meantime, business CEOs, such as those who run banks and airlines, have been receiving outrageous salaries – way, way beyond any sensible comparison.

Our democracy is also suffering from boiling-frog syndrome. The fire is fuelled by the conflict-of-interest donations to political parties. Even more heat is applied by the inappropriate and rorting behaviour of senior politicians. And still no real action. Apparently, the boiling point has not yet been reached.

Some ecologists argue the presence of frogs is an indicator of a high-quality environment. Our parliaments too often seem incapable of recognising the symptoms. If only they could see the heat rising. The boiling frog, representing some of the most valued characteristics of our community, is relaxed, lying back, simmering.