2 January

Straya loves heroes who mop up disasters. We did it with the Anzacs, and with every war since. Now we’re doing it with firefighters. Who are the heroes that prevent disasters? Straya sees those people as pains in the arse, who get in the way of drinking, gambling, sport, holidays to Bali, outdoor recreation and capital gains on houses. “But firefighters don't want us to see heroes, because calling them heroes overstates their ability to control fires and downplays the long-term psychological impacts of fighting fires.”