In the absence of climate change leadership in our nation, the mantle falls on you. There is much you can do as opposition leader.

You made a good start when you said: "Very clearly, this season means that it's a huge wake-up call for us to ensure that our preparedness is the best possible. And what that needs is coordination across the different levels of government." The recent initiative from Mr Morrison hurriedly addresses only part of the issue - the fires.

Your realisation is important, for no government has given it attention during the past decade when other nations, recognising the threats from extreme weather events, have developed and acted upon their climate adaptation plans.

Let us be clear. It is the prime duty of any government to protect the nation. To many doctors the current failure on climate action amounts to negligence with people's lives. If politicians were a profession like doctors then some would appear before the medical board and be stopped from practising.

Furthermore, it is now clear that the Coalition government has chosen to protect its unity and power by adhering to policies acceptable to its clique of deniers. This is unconscionable to Australians and to many other countries around the world.

There can be no trust or confidence in this government to respond effectively with an adaptability policy.

In the eyes of many, the climate change task mirrors that of the defence services in importance, complexity and urgency.

Imagine defence run by the states; a premier cutting fire services in a catastrophic fire season; a state doling out scarce water resources to help carbon emitters and the Northern Territory coping with its limited resources and expertise.

Federal government does not have a national adaptation policy. In 2015 it stated: "We have developed a significant national resilience and adaptation capability." This is a facade: it is devolved to the states and some do little.

Action must be led nationally by a government which accepts the complexity of the task and therefore the need to establish an expert group equivalent to the nation's defence experts and to take their advice.

Already many organisations have put up their hands. Emergency Leaders for Climate Action and the Australian Climate Roundtable are ready to serve the nation, as would be the Scientific Academies and Medical Colleges.

National adaptation plans are already enacted by many countries and we learn that we need to collectively harness expertise from natural hazard management (emergency services), water management, agriculture, forestry, tourism, biodiversity management, health, planning, defence services and finance - all obvious from the ongoing fire emergency.

This group would offer options for a defined statutory structure to define policy and action and bring pressure on the government.

Mr Albanese, Labor with your leadership could:

As a doctor I am compelled by my recognition that human health and very survival is at stake from the progression of climate change. We cannot immediately reduce emissions sufficient to avoid warming of two degrees or more, but we can prepare ourselves in so many ways to prepare for growing challenge.

The government indicates it is doing enough and so renders itself unfit to govern.

For some time doctors and health groups have already defined their policies. For example, that of Doctors for the Environment Australia (DEA) , the Climate and Health Alliance and others.

DEA policy on adaptation written three years ago stated: "Australia is poorly prepared for adequate adaptation to the health impacts of climate change and thus the community's health and our health services are vulnerable. An immediate response at a federal level is needed, with sufficient resources and personnel, to deliver a coordinated national response to the human health impacts of climate change."

Three years later this cathedral statement stands and the same action should apply to all other sectors of Australian endeavour coming together to prepare a national response.