Keeping Rudd warm

The Insulation debate continues with the heat being turned on the Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd. It will be interesting to see if he is forced to reveal correspondence with Peter Garrett re tightening the home insulation rebate rules. This is where the true issue of the debate is. Not that there are shonky dealers but how well the process was handled through the government system of minsters, parliamentary secretaries and officers. Other links to the story include Insulation inquiry: more alarming stories emerge by Sabra Lane.
By now it should be apparent that the Opposition is out for blood. Whether they get it remains to be seen.
Other Climate change news includes reporting of the speech by Economic department deputy director  Xie Zenhua - Climate Change is a fact. While China may blame the west (quite rightly) for man-made climate change it only has itself to blame for its environment degredation and handling of energy policies.
And finally the IPCC will have its independent review, not of the science, but of its procedures. At least the review means there is a process in place to check for apparent biases or suppositions unsupported by facts. Unlike the Climate Change deniers who exercise very little control, no humility and actively misrepresent or cherry-pick the facts.

More insulation debate information

A couple more media articles have emerged discussing the insulation debate/rebate/debacle rationally and with some statistical precision. Though difficult to be exact about the numbers these 2 articles make interesting reading.
First look at:

Did the insulation program actually reduce fire risk? by Possum Comitatus , Pollytics blog on Crikey.com on Feb 24. Complete with figures and reasoned arguments.

Secondly look at :

Insulation fire risk was worse before rebate by John Watson in "The Age" today, 4 March.

I agree with his comments - "If the program has proved anything, it is that Australia abounds with shonky businesses, ''she'll be right'' tradesmen, hypocritical politicians who habitually sacrifice workplace safety on the altar of business-friendly policy, and careless, pack-hunting journalists. That, I'm afraid, is not much of a revelation at all"

I hope soon to hear of successful prosecutions of shonky insulation dealers. However, the sensationalist reporting of these issues by many in the media are of just as much concern. Who can govern well with such insidious attacks and misrepresentations? And what are most people exposed to - reasoned arguments or hysterical mis-representation??