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My feeling is that they are getting it right this time, as science and medicine is still trumping politics in Australia's COVID response. (Though that's beginn

by femto 7y ago

My feeling is that they are getting it right this time, as science and medicine is still trumping politics in Australia's COVID response. (Though that's beginning to change.) Getting it right this time means the Government doesn't have any excuses going forward. Overall Australia is genuinely doing a great job in relation to COVID, mainly because the Government had the good sense to put the experts center stage and give them real authority. Most Australians have spotted this break with the past and have unified to contain COVID. Going forward, maybe the nation can keep sanity in government and avoid the political parties again taking over the asylum?

chillfox 7y ago
I agree that the government’s handling of covid-19 has mostly been surprisingly competent in a pleasant way. It has certainly changed my opinion of them. I used to think that they were out of touch and incompetent, but now I think they can be competent and highly effective when they care, I just don’t think they care about privacy one bit.
- femto 7y ago
  My hope is that now Australians have seen what is possible there will be no going back to the old ways.
cmroanirgo 7y ago
Requiring a phone number may be in breach of existing legislation, particularly that which resulted from the No vote to the Australia Card in the 80's. Those anti-id laws were ratified in 2005/2006. https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/Publications_Archive/archive/identitycards https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Depart... This tech can and should be using crypto random hashes rather than phone numbers. The authorities don't need to call anyone, let the app and the fully anonymous central db do it's job to notify others that they need to get tested.
- hp35 7y ago
  See s477(5) of the Biosecurity Act 2015.
- hamlsandwich 7y ago
  Particularly when we can't (easily) have disposable or non-identifying phone numbers in Australia: https://www.acma.gov.au/acmas-rules-id-checks-prepaid-mobiles https://www.acma.gov.au/acmas-rules-id-checks-prepaid-mobile...

by femto 7y ago

chillfox 7y ago

I agree that the government’s handling of covid-19 has mostly been surprisingly competent in a pleasant way. It has certainly changed my opinion of them. I used to think that they were out of touch and incompetent, but now I think they can be competent and highly effective when they care, I just don’t think they care about privacy one bit.

femto 7y ago
My hope is that now Australians have seen what is possible there will be no going back to the old ways.

cmroanirgo 7y ago

Requiring a phone number may be in breach of existing legislation, particularly that which resulted from the No vote to the Australia Card in the 80's. Those anti-id laws were ratified in 2005/2006. https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/Publications_Archive/archive/identitycards https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Depart... This tech can and should be using crypto random hashes rather than phone numbers. The authorities don't need to call anyone, let the app and the fully anonymous central db do it's job to notify others that they need to get tested.

hp35 7y ago
See s477(5) of the Biosecurity Act 2015.
hamlsandwich 7y ago
Particularly when we can't (easily) have disposable or non-identifying phone numbers in Australia: https://www.acma.gov.au/acmas-rules-id-checks-prepaid-mobiles https://www.acma.gov.au/acmas-rules-id-checks-prepaid-mobile...