Indeed, I think the current crisis has demonstrated that the country/region - NZ/near Pacific needs to look back to the time before the shift to globalisation, when were were a lot more self-sufficient.
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In some ways yes, but other ways no.
What has been surprising is our greatest ally (US) has been very self-centric in relation to the pandemic and it appears only interested in itself, where our greatest trading partner (China), has been reaching out to other nations to see how it can assist (such as production of medical supplies and equipment).
In some respects it has brought nations closer fighting a common goal and sharing information, but on the other hand some nations have been less responsive to the pandemic or willing to assist others.
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While QF and VA have shut down Qatar has upped its services to Australia to bring Aussies home. As for their cancelled flight policy, if you are affected, you can re-book your ticket to alternative dates or destinations, opt to receive a voucher for future travel, or get a refund. This policy applies to all tickets issued anytime until 30 September 2020, for travel on or before the same date.
The Qatar government owns the airline.
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Maybe an airline or two, telecommunications infrastructure or even a bank? Nah, too radical. Let’s sell the roads, power and water infrastructure instead. 
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Given the behaviour of the private sector, nationalisation is in the wind for another industry.
[edit]
Should some businesses be prohibited from employing workers? As I’ve suggested elsewhere:
Government could then ensure that the workers’ conditions are healthy and they’re not exploited.
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I think positive trends are afoot. We have a conservative government that is willing to spend in order to prevent total collapse - compare that to the British austerity governments. We have a government that may in fact be going back into business, because otherwise some businesses won’t survive. We have a government that is prepared to pay a half-decent living wage in order to keep people attached to businesses.
None of these are things I would have expected from our current national government, and I am being constantly surprised.
Could the government be doing better? Undoubtedly - but they are so far doing an awful lot in the right direction.
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I totally agree. It is a siesmic change from the aspersions cast at John Howard’s Goverment as being “mean and tricky” or those previously calls at ScoMo.
They have virtually thrown everything including the kitchen sink so far and perhaps the bath tub will be next.
Of course the day of reckoning will loom when the piper has to be paid, but without sensible intervention, there would have been less persons to pay the bill.
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Cash Is King.We will always need cash in society and i can’t see it disappearing either.It was reported just a couple of days ago that using cash in the current climate has no issues when it comes to the virus.If you use cash keep using it don’t be forced by anyone to change.Naturally as everyone knows when handling cash or your phone or a flexi-teller machine you should always make sure you wash your hands when you can
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Easier said than done when a merchant refuses cash, and it is happening here and there.
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This is not the only forum where the topic has been raised:
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With the parliament closed and the climate being that the opposition has to rubber stamp whatever the government wants there still needs to be accountability.
The founders of democracy, the ancient Greek Athenians, knew that spending days arguing about what to do in times of crisis was not a good idea, they would elect a dictator $$$ who could do whatever was necessary to deal with the problem. This is effectively what we have now.
However once the crisis has passed the whole thing must be reviewed because:
- A post implementation review will help record what worked and what didn’t for next time - and there will be a next time.
- The public needs to be assured that the pots of money were well spent. Not only should it be spent effectively but it should be demonstrated there was no cronyism or bias.
- Any temporary loss of freedom or privacy must be scrutinised after the need is over to make sure the crisis was not used to smuggle in another increment of police state permanently.
- A bipartisan committee will not only be fairer but help to ensure commitment of both parties to the outcome for the future.
If Justice Mary Gaudron says we need it I’m inclined to agree.
$$$ Who was always a popular middle-aged white male from the ruling class. 
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Yes, I think it’s almost inevitable we’ll have a post-pandemic review. Whether it’s a royal commission or whatever remains to be seen but there must be a review, for the reasons you’ve listed.
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More thoughts on impacts of the pandemic:
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While cash is still legal tender.They should still accept it.If some businesses down the track when the virus goes away decide that’s what they are going to do i will be shopping elsewhere.Don’t be forced into something you don’t want to do
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You neglect to mention that after the crisis was ended they often decided that the dictator had done a poor job and punished him (exile, execution…).
I don’t expect that to occur in present-day Australia, somehow.
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I think the process of retuning to a semblance of normality will be gradual.
All businesses won’t open up and deliver the service they once did, in an instant, eg, hospitality require masses of people, so there won’t be the same volume to support all the outlets.
Many services will choose to continue to operate as they are during Coronavirus.
Many workers will discover they didn’t enjoy what they once did, and others that they are passionate about it.
Others will welcome the change in values and lifestyle that this virus has brought, and have no wish to return to old ways.
Politically, perhaps there will a change towards self sufficiency of product and services, that many aren’t needed and many that need ramping up.
The tax and transfer system, welfare and subsidies, are at levels never seen before, will Gov’t just switch them off, and revert back?
Health provision will have changed, will that retraining, staffing levels, etc all be dumped, or put to better use?
The obvious profit making of many companies, are coming to the fore, will their exposure make a long term difference?
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In the future I would like to see the governments of the world, perhaps within WHO, develop a ‘Pandemic Response Plan’ so that all countries are on the same wavelength. In this plan each country would:-
- Identify all those companies (by a central registration process) who could quickly convert to producing necessary medical supplies.
- Buildings in all major cities could be identified that are able to be converted to hospitals.
- Identification of all essential services which would remain open during the pandemic.
- Stages of isolation, quarantine be detailed.
- Create a plan for dealing with any ships at sea during the crisis.
- Major hospitals would submit their Pandemic plan.
- Economic strategies would be put in place to support business and employees. Perhaps a World Bank for Pandemics developed.
- All countries to agree on travel restrictions/bans in and out of countries
- A decision on who takes economic responsibility for travellers on work visas - the host country or country of normal residence.
We could all be less anxious if we knew there was a plan in place for any future pandemics
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Hi @Mytwocents. Welcome to the community, and thanks for your input.
It would be great to see a different future where all nations were in agreement as suggested. Compared with the need, the likelihood might be a very long discussion.
On a positive note there are nations which have shown they were much better prepared for a pandemic than others? Several near neighbours to Australia may tick most on your list.
A further observation on some of these (Singapore, Japan, S Korea etc) is they are very different in their social and cultural norms, when compared with Australia.
A critical requirement for success in a pandemic might be how willing and observant all of the nation is to comply with the directions of the state. In Australia’s instance 6 states, 2 territories, 1 commonwealth, and a …
Is there another item to add to the list of procedures to be in place. A standing national pandemic management committee and director that leads all governments as one?
Wouldn’t we all?
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Unfortunately the UN is as fractured and contentious as the US Congress. Even when there is near unanimous consensus the permanent members of the security council can individually veto anything that is not politically comfortable for them.
Imagine the WHO trying to get a pandemic response going while one of those members maintains it is just a mild flu. In other cases countries with an ‘inappropriate’ economic system get marginalised because of ideology.
The League of Nations failed and the United Nations has failed (on so many issues) because of national partisanship. Idealistically it should work; reality is what it is.
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There is no requirement for a business to accept cash even though it is legal tender.
From the Reserve Bank of Australia comes this advice:
However although transactions are to be in Australian currency unless otherwise agreed or specified, and Australian currency has legal tender status, Australian banknotes and coins do not necessarily have to be used in transactions and refusal to accept payment in legal tender banknotes and coins is not unlawful.
However they go on to further say:
If a provider of goods or services specifies other means of payment prior to the contract, then there is usually no obligation for legal tender to be accepted as payment.
However, refusal to accept legal tender in payment of an existing debt, where no other means of payment/settlement has been specified in advance, conceivably could have consequences in legal proceedings; for example, the creditor may be unable to enforce payment in any other form.
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