In the face of the greatest public health crisis in a century, the Australian government, like others all over the world, has been forced to shut down whole sectors of the economy virtually overnight. The resulting collapse in economic activity—unprecedented in its speed and depth—threatens the livelihoods of millions of Australians. This has prompted the government to take bold steps to cushion the blow to the economy, centered around the $130 billion JobKeeper wage subsidy program.
With COVID-19 continuing to spread in the Pacific, the region is facing coordination challenges as an increasing number of security partners play a role in managing the pandemic, Hugh McClure writes.
