While nobody was noticing, late last year Australia pipped Norway to achieve the highest standard of living in the world.
Black Saturday
Tracking the Black Saturday bushfires — at the source of ignition
The Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission recommendations were released to a predicable media reception. Using the fear of fire many politicians, journalists and others seek to make themselves popular by backing the clearing of bush — without justification, writes Lionel Elmore.
Some questions for Emergency Services Commissioner Bruce Esplin
Tomorrow, Emergency Services Commissioner Bruce Esplin will face the Black Saturday Royal Commission — but is the Commission ready to ask him the tough questions? asks Tess Lawrence.
Rees retired for a reason but Nixon got nixed
Departed fire chief Russell Rees got a dignified farewell and positive media coverage, the exact opposite coverage that Christine Nixon — who had a far lesser role in operations — did. Why? asks Jane Cowan.
Christine Nixon: another fat sheila, another lame jibe
Whatever Christine Nixon has done in public life — being Police Commissioner, going to dinner on Black Saturday, running the Black Saturday recovery — she’ll always cop the fat sheila abuse. It’s the way we treat all overweight women, writes Claire Harvey.
Crucifying Christine because she’s female
The public flogging of Christine Nixon is typical of our treatment of strong, prominent women, writes Moira Rayner. She did the only thing that all the many men involved won’t: admit that she “could have done better”.
Crikey Says: It’s Black Saturday, for God’s sake, pay attention
Why does it take a debate over Christine Nixon’s gastro pub dinner to get us talking about Black Saturday again?
Guy Rundle: 
Nixon should resign — but so should Brumby
There should have been resignations right across the board after Black Saturday, says Guy Rundle: Christine Nixon, the whole CFA leadership, and the Victorian Government.
Finally the fires calm at the Commission
The Royal Commission into the Black Saturday bushfires has been a scene of fiery debate, but finally the experts are in agreement: Victoria should burn off 5-10% of its public forests annually, writes Jane Cowan.
The voices not being heard at Black Saturday Royal Commission
A Royal Commission should not only be informed by popularist sentiment, but also factual information from non-partisan sources, says Lionel Elmore. Some views are being silenced.
Austin: Isn’t ten years long enough to fix it?
Labor has run Victoria for a decade now, yet with Myki mayhem and transport woes whenever the mercury rises, the heat is on John Brumby to prove his worth, writes Paul Austin.
Journalists shined in Black Saturday’s blaze
Regardless of what the critics say, last year’s Black Saturday bushfires brought out the best in Australian journalism, says Media Watch’s Jonathan Holmes.
Simons: Content makers come to grips with the big grapple
Margaret Simons’s round-up of this year’s biggest media industry news, movers, shakers and changes.
2009: like Groundhog Day, only worse
Bernard Keane looks back on the year that was in Australian politics: a lot like 2008, and 2007, only far, far worse.
Media briefs: ATO uses Wikipedia … Our Great Firewall … Fairfax Christmas bonanza …
International reports on our Great Firewall, the Herald Sun follows Crikey’s lead, Facebook in factories, and more briefs on media from around the world.
revealed Vic government goes missing on bushfire maps
Maps used by the Victorian Country Fire Authority to help residents avoid the devastation of another Black Saturday are years out of date and contain a raft of embarrassing errors.
Bushfire season: What Victoria taught us about health
The need for health services after a bushfire is not just a short-term issue, writes Croakey. As we learnt from the Vic bushfires, health services need long term extra support to deal with such a disaster.
Humans first, journalists second
A sample of some of the very moving case studies collected for the Centre for Advanced Journalism’s report into the journalism of Black Saturday.
Journalists adrift: the reporting of Black Saturday
Journalists covering the Black Saturday bushfires lacked ethical guidelines, and were left to find their own way through the dilemmas and traumas of reporting Australia’s worst peace-time disaster, according to a new study.
Schools left off bushfire Code Red register
Victorian schools in the potential path of a new wave of bushfires have been left off an emergency register designed to shut them down in the event of another Black Saturday.
Fighting fires: Australia vs. America
Australian-born journalist Christine Kenneally explains the aftermath of the Black Saturday bushfires to the The New Yorker, comparing the different tactics and challenges of Australian and American firefighters.
