The Covid legacy in Australia
Kevin Bardosh sits down with Prof. Shahar Hameiri, a political scientist from the University of Queensland, to discuss his latest book, The Locked-up Country: Learning the lessons from Australia’s Covid-19 response. Published in 2023, the book explores the multiple governance failures of Australia’s Covid response and locates these within their historical context, with particular reference to the regulatory state. We reflect on the authoritarianism of lockdown, the public desirability of Zero Covid and the legacy of the pandemic on society and politics in Australia and beyond.
Check out our conversation.
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About Shahar Hameiri
Shahar Hameiri is Professor of International Politics at the University of Queensland. An expert on security and development in Asia, Shahar has authored several books, including Fractured China (co-authored with Lee Jones), published by Cambridge University Press in 2021. Shahar has also written extensively on the politics of global health security. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Shahar directed his attention towards understanding the response back home in Australia. The result is his latest book, The Locked-up Country, co-authored with Dr Tom Chodor.
Follow Shahar Hameiri on X (formerly Twitter) @ShaharHameiri
About Kevin Bardosh
Kevin Bardosh is the Director of Collateral Global, a UK-based charity dedicated to researching the global impacts of Covid-19 policy responses and helping the world better balance societal trade-offs during future health emergencies. He has worked in more than 20 countries on infectious disease control programs (including Ebola and Zika), authored more than 50 peer-reviewed publications and edited two books. He is currently an Affiliate Assistant Professor in the School of Public Health, University of Washington USA and an Honorary Lecturer at the Edinburgh Medical School, University of Edinburgh UK.
Follow Kevin Bardosh on X (formerly Twitter) @KevinBardosh
Follow Collateral Global on Twitter @collateralglbl
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