CALLING ALAN STRETTON

I think of the Black Saturday bushfire tragedy and the looming bushfire season. And I think of Alan Stretton. Major-General Alan Stretton. The man who took control when Cyclone Tracey tore through Darwin on Christmas Eve in 1974 – thirty-five years ago. What’s the connection between Stretton and Black Saturday? Where was our Alan Stretton in those chaotic and tragic days?

Why didn’t the Premier John Brumby immediately declare a State of Emergency and appoint someone to run the operation. To cut the red tape. Stamp on stupid rivalries and turf disputes.

AS the marathon Royal Commission has already shown:  There were some many competing agencies, so many people in charge, there was actually nobody in charge and many more lives were lost.

Where was the then Police Commissioner, Christine Nixon? Where was the Police Minister Bob Cameron? Why haven’t they been called as witnesses at the Royal Commission.

Simon Overland appeared this week. But he was Nixon’s replacement. She was the Chief on the day. What she did or did not do could be critical to the Commission. Likewise the nigh-invisible  ‘I hate the media’ Police Minister.

Police Association secretary Greg Davies is right when he says: ‘ It’s hard to see how the commission can get any sort of fair dinkum result without putting both of them in the witness box, talking to them and allowing them to be cross-examined.’

But back to Premier Brumby’s failure to declare an official State of Emergency. They knew it was coming.  The experts kept coming on my 3AW  program for days in advance warning that this was going to be a firestorm the like of which we had never seen before.

The warnings were so dire that I remember doubting myself on air over whether or not it was scaremongering and likely to generate panic.

I know that the few Army troops that were called for restricted duties around places like Kinglake were frustrated and angry. They complained that under an official State of Emergency they could have done so much more.
I know they told people at Kinglake when they did  provide extra assistance: ‘Don’t tell the brass. We’re not supposed to be doing this’.

My simple question to the Premier: Mr. Brumby. Where’s your Alan Stretton this time?

© Copyright Derryn Hinch 2009