Memo to the prime minister: speak less, lead more

COVID-19 will exact a huge financial cost from the Australian economy. About that we can do very little. What we can do and must do is minimise the mortality and morbidity numbers but putting a lid on the spread of the disease.

Politicians and their health experts must place the health of Australians first, to the wholesale exclusion of competing interests. This includes ignoring special interest groups arguing for corporate welfare (such as rugby league) or screaming their alleged special status (such as the tourism sector).

If the Morrison government really wants to take the fight to COVID-19, it must sever its relationships with lobbyists from all manner of industries and focus on the health aspect alone. It can best do that by moving the management of this crisis out of its hands and into the hands of a taskforce comprised of scientists (domestic and perhaps also foreign), chaired by a medically qualified professional assisted by say a highly respected non-scientist in the capacity of say, deputy chair.

Two great Australian names immediately come to mind: arguably one Australia's finest minds and communicators of science, Dr Norman Swan and an Australian patriot with a long history of civic contributions (apart from his entrepreneurship, philanthropy and aviation firsts), Dick Smith.

These gentlemen are people Australians trust and their informed views will have traction in the community. More importantly they come free of political baggage.

Their task force must be given a remit to put forward what steps, benign or otherwise, must be employed by Australian governments and what legislation (if any) must be adjusted or enacted to realise the goal of saving Australian lives. This naturally includes studying how other jurisdictions have addressed COVID-19 and if need be, advocate ways to prepare Australians for unprecedented measures that may include limits on freedom of movement.

We have a crisis that needs to be acted upon quickly, aggressively and analytically. It doesn't hurt one jot that such a task force could more easily that politicians, turn a tin ear to the unwelcome noise of panhandling special interests and instead focus undiluted on saving Australian lives.