Australia was a model for protecting people from COVID-19 — and then we dumped half a million people back into poverty
- Written by Sharon Bessell, Professor of Public Policy, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University

As the pandemic swept the globe in 2020, Australia stood out as a model for how to contain the virus and support its citizens.
A year later, Australia is struggling with vaccination and has abandoned the measures it put in place in 2020 to support the most vulnerable.
The A$750 per week COVID disaster payment to Australians in...