From the Sydney Morning Herald today:

"Insulation installed under the federal government's controversial scheme has been linked to 18 recent home fires and could be the cause of 174 house blazes, new government figures reveal.

The federal opposition is now demanding every home that received insulation under the $2.5 billion program be inspected, calling the scheme "an epidemic which is running out of control".

There have been no known deaths as a result of these fires, though the possibility has been raised by fire authorities.

The government admitted yesterday that it had carried out less than a quarter of the safety inspections it promised on homes with suspect insulation.

Figures reveal only 32,000 homes with non-foil insulation have been inspected, despite the government promising to check at least 150,000 premises."

The problem is clear, the solution is clear, this not rocket science, yet the government refuses to act in spite of having promised to do so.

If Labor cannot even meet basic commitments before moving on and just leaves debt and unfinished business in its wake, how on earth can they ask us to trust their future promises?

Shadow :) Let's play "yes minister" for a moment.

Sir Humphry "Prime Minister.. we are getting a lot of flack about the home insulation problems.. fires and all."

Prime Minister "But Sir Humphry..did'nt we do something about that ?"

Sir Humphry "Yes Minister.. we made a very clear and strongly worded 'press release' and our polling shows this had a positive impact in 2 marginal seats."

Oversight of building codes are in the state jurisdiction. The problems seems to be that the Commonwealth assumed that the states had a robust system already in place. Am I wrong?

It is amazing to me that the media has done nothing about reporting the prosecutions associated with dodgy insulation installations, and it is equally amazing to me that you
Shadow Minister (like the media) would prefer to focus on process rather than the actual culprits for the insulation debacle.

I for one would like to see these people punished ( they are, we're just not seeing it in the media ), for ripping off the taxpayer and the Govt and endangering people and their property. These people who arrived canvassing at peoples front doors, peddling sub standard services and those who were foolish enough to acquiesce to them, bear the real responsibility for the failure of what was a very good idea in the first place.

I for one also am sorry I didn't take up the offer in time because I as a consumer would have been discerning and aware of my own responsibilities when considering something so important for my home.

Gov't bashing has worked for the Opposition as well as frustrating and blocking the Gov't and it's agenda for the entire 3 yrs of the Rudd Gov't , but now it's time to show us your policy's.

As a person who is program driven when voting it's clear that I can't see the oppositions program Shadow Minister, but I do know the the Big Multinational Corporations sure like the current leadership of the Liberal Party etc.

Convince me that their isn't something wrong with this relationship Shadow Minister, and show me a picture of Peter Garrett fitting the insulation causing injury and your case for further Govt culpability might bear some credence, otherwise it just doesn't.

Yes Grant, I'm sure you're right.

This bunch of twits have made a habit of assuming things. Isn't it a pity that very few of those assumptions have had even a passing relationship to fact?

Still, burning down houses achieves an increase in the stimulus package, paid for by the insurance companies. Probably one of this lots better financial schemes. God knows, it's probably the only one that's worked.

Ultimately, the man at the top must take responsibility for the actions of his workers. Peter Garrett may not have installed any insulation, but he oversaw the process - even if by remote. Thus it is his place to take the fall. That's why he gets the big money.

I understand the point that the unscrupulous businesses that did the dodgy jobs must also take responsibility. And I agree with it. But, if I own a business and hire external contractors to do work for me, I am also responsible for their work. It is my responsibility to identify appropriate contractors and ensure that they do a good job, particularly when public safety is at stake. If they don't do a good job, I must take action against them. The same applies for the government and its contractors. They did a bad job, but they were allowed to by their hirers.

As for the consumers, yes some were stupid. But, I would suspect, the companies preyed on their stupidity and the government let them. I would like to think that the government is out there to protect the people from the wolves, rather than to set the wolves loose to attack the people at will.