[UKBusinessLive]

Originally Posted by Dismounted

As was described perfectly by our Prime Minister: "There can do no other words to describe the arsonists, this is mass murder."

He Ain't wrong buddy.

A firetruck is seen as a bushfire approaches the town of Labertouche, 90km (56 miles) east of Melbourne, February 7, 2009. Aircraft dropped water bombs on raging Australian bush fires and homes went up in flames on Saturday as a once-in-a-century heatwave sent temperatures in Melbourne to their highest on record.

Rudd also warned that the rebuilding of the communities was not an easy task. "It is not just the next day or two, it is the next year or two, the rebuilding of these communities," he said.

The prime minister reiterated his vehement condemnation against the arsonists Tuesday, saying that dealing with arsonists was a matter of "grave urgency" and there was no excuse for it.

"This as I said yesterday is simply murder on a grand scale," he said. "Let us attend to this unfinished business of the nation and come to grips with this evil thing."

Rudd said Monday that if the Victorian fires had been deliberately lit it would amount to "mass murder." The arsonists who set deadly fires in Victoria state could be charged with murder, Australian federal attorney-general Robert McClelland said the same day.

Police have established a taskforce of up to 100 police to investigate how the fires started.

The investigation will focus on whether the fires were deliberately lit, identify any offenders and investigate the circumstances surrounding those killed, ABC News report said.

However, Australian Victorian police said it may take a year to fully investigate the weekend fires in the state.

'Operation Phoenix', nation's biggest ever arson investigation, launched

Police: Fire had no natural cause
Investigators to release photo-fit of arsonist

At least 700 homes destroyed; 5,000 people homeless
Death toll at 181 and rising
Trauma centres run out of morphine





I just wished there was something we could do

is there an appeal type of thing Hanson, that we can make a donation to ???