Politics with Michelle Grattan
News:Politics
In light of Victoria’s cautious roadmap out of lockdown, with some experts claiming the exit is too fast, and others believing it is unnecessarily slow, the modelling underpinning the decisions is under close scrutiny.
University of Melbourne Professor Jodie McVernon is director of epidemiology at the Doherty Institute, and a modelling expert.
She tells the podcast, “I think the broad qualitative conclusions of the model would have been reached by really any kind of model formulation - that the lower numbers can be driven down, the less likely a resurgence would be”.
This week saw a pause in the progress towards a hoped-for Oxford vaccine, when a clinical trial produced an unexplained illness in one participants.
But McVernon remains optimistic. “I think we will get vaccines. I don’t think we’ll get perfect ones, but I’m hoping we’ll get useful ones – because without vaccines, we only have behaviour to prevent this disease. … So I think [a vaccine will] be one of a suite of things that we’ll be using into the future to control the spread of Covid.”
The pandemic has seen ‘experts’, including public health officials and academics, come centre stage as public figures – as policy heroes but, latterly, also targets for some critics who think their voices are carrying too much influence.
“I would have to say I’m a very reluctantly public figure,” McVernon says.
“[I] was convinced by others early on that it is important …in these times of uncertainty that people are reassured by having the evidence explained.
"If we we do have expert knowledge and we can help to clarify things for the public - I think that’s an important responsibility. Part of having knowledge is sharing that knowledge.”
Labor defence spokesman Brendan O’Connor on China and Ukraine
Government’s ‘shock and awe’ assault on Anthony Albanese
Trent Zimmerman has no regrets on Religious Discrimination rebellion
On Scott Morrison’s battle for Religious Discrimination Bill
Anthony Albanese on his ‘legacy’ - so far
Peter Dutton on US combat assets in Australia, China, and Vladimir Putin
Tanya Plibersek on parents’ role in reducing violence against women
Politics with Michelle Grattan: Josh Frydenberg ‘thinking about the budget’ over Christmas
Sean Kelly and Anne Tiernan on election year
Michelle Grattan on Labor’s climate policy and Liberal’s fight for Warringah
Politicians condemn bad behaviour, and then behave badly
Jenny McAllister on domestic violence
Christmas can’t come too soon for Morrison
Liberal Dave Sharma on 2030 target
On Morrison’s character ratings
Chris Bowen says Labor’s climate policy will be ‘realistic and ambitious’
Scott Morrison has decided electric cars won’t threaten Aussie weekends
Keith Pitt on the climate plan and coal’s future
Scott Morrison’s (thin) climate plan for Glasgow
Phil Honeywood on the challenges of getting international students back
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free