who would honestly want to be PM at this time?

Dear individual,

You write; "This reporter knew exactly that his question would create turmoil if Trump let himself get dragged into an unwinnable slanging match with 20 journalists !"

Okay now you are just making stuff up. It's idiotic. Only the most butt hurt crybaby of a president would have reacted like that to such a question. Why you are trying to imply is that the press are ganging up on him so he gets to sulk.

Have things really reached such pathetic levels that you are having to torture the facts to such a degree just to make him look a little less childish than he so readily illustrates? God help America with such incompetent leadership.

Dear runner,

You asked; "who would honestly want to be PM at this time?"

Wrong question. It should be who would be on the front foot and well ahead of the game when such challenges arise? Rudd was one such politician and there have been others. Scomo most definitely is not. We really do deserve better. Our schools should have been closed weeks ago and far more extensive lockdowns put in place. We really did miss the boat and thousands are going to lose their lives. As an island state we had the opportunity to have a rel crack of getting on top of this like Taiwan did. Wrong leader for the time.

Dear Ttbn,

«we must decouple from China. There would be some short term pain, but the return to full employment and self-sufficiency would be well worth it.»

Hear, Hear!

«What would police have done today had those hundreds of beach-goers refused to move? Shoot them?»

Not necessary at this stage. Once things get even worse, the answer is to erect a fence around that beach so they cannot leave and infect others.

Meanwhile, one measure is clearly missing and must be announced: anyone who deliberately breaks the isolation/distancing orders should be listed and remain at the end of queue to receive medical care, including ICU, so that even if they be dying, anyone else with moderate symptoms, of any age, could take their hospital-bed without notice.

Denying people their freedom is problematic, but denying them privileges is straight-forward and called for.

Yuyutsu,

Yes. If people are as silly about their safety as the beachgoers and others who think they are immune to the virus and the need to take advice, they should be at the bottom of the list for treatment.

I hope that our so-called leaders don't go to water when it comes to backing away from China. Unfortunately, they are not to be trusted when the heat is off them.

'Rudd was one such politician and there have been others.'

Oh dear oh dear. How can anyone answer such ignorance.