The fact is that few people are ever happy with the way that any disaster is handled. It is simply inevitable that the aura of Anna’s splendid leadership through two disasters will steadily fade as reconstruction proceeds. Her image problem will be made worse by the fact that millions of Australian’s now identify closely with the enormous death toll from the tragedy that has hit Christchurch, the consequences of which will make Queensland’s problems seem to be less important.
Which brings us to the manner in which Reconstruction will be carried out in Queensland (and in north-eastern New South Wales, north-western Victoria and Darwin — all of whom have been omitted from the Federal Government’s plans for spending the Flood Levy, because they seem to be overly concerned about winning seats in politically volatile Queensland). Continue reading “The Perilous Politics of Reconstruction”