This is the inside story of Australia's two years of hell, when the country was besieged by crisis after crisis, and a rolling series of challenges and setbacks. Much of what took place behind the scenes will astonish the public. Plagued reveals how the critical decisions were actually made, decisions that will forever change the nation's place in the world. In early 2020, Covid-19 breached Australian shores, triggering twin crises: health and economic. The nation had not endured trials of this scale and impact since the Spanish flu and the Great Depression. Simon Benson and Geoff Chambers – two of Australia's top political journalists – were granted exclusive access to the crucial machinations of government at the country's highest levels, not just within the corridors of power but also behind doors normally sealed. They delve into the depths of power and the cabinet room to reveal how decisions that would change the course of Australian history were actually made, but which did not prevent the federal government's crushing defeat in the 2022 election. Plagued chronicles a period of upheaval punctuated by the pandemic, natural disasters and political scandals within a world becoming more precarious with the rise of autocracy. It is a story of profound political intrigue, one in which Australia, its politicians, public servants and institutions were tested like in no other period in modern memory.

On 15 April 2020, the Special Commission of Inquiry into the Ruby Princess was established by letters patent issued by the Governor under the Special Commissions of Inquiry Act 1983 (NSW). The Special Commission was led by Bret Walker SC. The terms of reference for the Special Commission, set out in the letters patent, required the Commissioner to inquire into and report on:- The knowledge, decisions and actions of Ruby Princess crew, medical staff and the ship operator, Princess Cruises, with respect to cases or potential cases of respiratory infections on the ship.- The information provided to, communications between, and decisions and actions of Commonwealth and NSW agencies, including the Australian Border Force, the Federal Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, NSW Health, the NSW Police Force, NSW Ambulance and the Port Authority of NSW.- Policies and protocols applied by Princess Cruises and Commonwealth and NSW Government agencies with respect to managing suspected or potential COVID-19 cases.- Communications by Commonwealth and NSW Government agencies to passengers disembarking the Ruby Princess.- Any other related matters that the Commissioner considered appropriate.In conducting the Inquiry, the Commissioner had regard to the global COVID-19 pandemic and: the departure from Sydney of the Ruby Princess on 8 March 2020; the voyage of the Ruby Princess between 8 March and 19 March 2020;the docking and disembarkation of the Ruby Princess at Sydney on 19 March 2020; and subsequent efforts to diagnose and treat, and to contain the community transmission of COVID-19 by, Ruby Princess passengers.The Special Commission was given special powers under Division 2 of Part 3 of the Special Commissions of Inquiry Act 1983 (NSW) to conduct the Inquiry.

This book presents an international and comparative exploration of how the COVID-19 global pandemic has affected and impacted on issues of human rights, security, and law. Throughout the world, the COVID-19 global pandemic has fundamentally impacted and altered our way of life. As this book sets out, all states have had to contend with similar challenges as well as competing interests and obligations affecting human rights and security. These challenges present very few simple choices but nonetheless carry enormous consequences. Organised into two thematic and distinct yet interrelated parts, first on theoretical and practical challenges for human rights and second on threats to personal, collective, and global security, the book examines how the ability of states to safeguard our fundamental rights and security, broadly defined, has been challenged. Questions about the legality and legal impact of recent responses to COVID-19 will persist for some time. It is often said that global problems require coordinated global solutions, but the various responses to the pandemic by states suggest a notable lack of a consensus amongst the international community. The book will be of interest to academics and researchers working in the areas of human rights law and security law. It will also appeal to constitutional lawyers, given the nature of law-making and the challenge of ensuring adequate scrutiny in emergency situations as well as the impact of COVID-19 upon the legal framework more generally. It will provide a valuable resource for policymakers, practitioners, and public servants.

Without fear or favour, How Good is Scott Morrison? examines the trials and tribulations of our 30th prime minister. Investigating Morrison's unlikely rise to the liberal leadership and his miracle electoral win, van Onselen and Errington put his leadership under the spotlight. Covering Morrison's disastrous management of the catastrophic bushfire season that was highlighted by the extraordinary statement, 'I don't hold the hose, mate,' and the decision to holiday while the country burned, How Good is Scott Morrison? shows his resolve and the redemption the government's response to the pandemic brought him. Right now, Scott Morrison seems unassailable and sure to win the next election, but what exactly is his vision for Australia? A pragmatist rather than an ideologue, he is a deeply Pentecostal religious man but he doesn't wear his faith as a badge of honour. So what does he really believe in? When the history of this period is written, Morrison will certainly be seen as an election winner but will he be viewed as having had the courage and vision to change Australia for the better, or the worse?

This book explores various issues and challenges emanating from the COVID-19 pandemic. It examines how governments worldwide have dealt with the pandemic. Post-COVID-19 and its disruptive impact on social and economic life as well as public and political attitudes, the world is not the same. A new normal has dawned in public management and public services, with immense implications. This volume collects the lessons drawn from the pandemic, notably how crisis leadership and public governance were used to combat the crisis, as well as which aspects were helpful in that regard. This book covers a total of 17 countries and regions, namely: Japan, South Korea, Singapore, China (Mainland), Hong Kong, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, The Netherlands, the Nordic Countries (Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland), the UK and US. Special attention is drawn to China (Mainland) in particular, where the pandemic first broke out. Its subsequent efforts in suppressing the epidemic have been quite stunning. The range enables good international comparisons to be made in crisis leadership, response strategies and effectiveness across continents, systems, and cultures (East Asia, Oceania, Europe and North America). While the pandemic is still ongoing by the time the book is finalized, the experience gained over more than two years has provided good ground for lesson drawing.

The “Integrated Science of Global Epidemics” is the new proposed volume of Integrated Science Book series, aiming to publish the results of the most updated ideas and reviews on Global Epidemics. The whole world is suffering from complex problems, border less problems and global solution should be developed. The Integrated Science of Global Epidemics aims to highlight the combination of different disciplines, including formal sciences, physical-chemical sciences and engineering, biological sciences, medical sciences, and social sciences, to deal with complex problems such as global epidemics. This contributed volume could be used as guidelines for the entire scientific community and policy makers to successfully face these global threats. Chapter 27 is available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.

Volume 39 of the Chinese (Taiwan) Yearbook of International Law and Affairs publishes scholarly articles and essays on international and transnational law, as well as compiles official documents on the state practice of the Republic of China (Taiwan) in 2021.

Gladys Berejiklian was Australia's rockstar premier. The first woman elected to lead NSW, she steered the state through devastating bushfires, drought and a once-in-a-generation pandemic with a steady hand. To many, she was 'The Woman Who Saved Australia' for the way in which she navigated the first wave of COVID, with a sterling reputation as a dedicated and reliable public servant. But for all of her premiership, and well before, Berejiklian was harbouring a secret that she kept from her friends, family, colleagues and constituents. That secret - revealed during ICAC proceedings in 2020 - would eventually bring down one of the country's most deeply respected leaders. Journalist Alexandra Smith tells the inside story of the dramatic last weeks of Berejiklian's premiership and examines the political decisions and personal sacrifices that characterised her early days in public life, her rise to the top and her eventual downfall. The Secret is an unputdownable account of a story that captured Australia's attention, and a vital investigation of how the toxic power and gender dynamics of politics can shape ambition - and end careers. LONGLISTED FOR THE WALKLEY BOOK AWARD 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the face of international and domestic tourism and sharply focused attention on the importance of tourist health, safety and wellbeing like never before. This book offers a unique perspective on the challenges facing the world’s largest service industry to protect and care for customers in a rapidly evolving environment where borders have closed, social distancing rules apply and personal hygiene has become a key focus in everyday life. Yet tourism is a very resilient industry and history shows there is always an immediate surge toward recovery after a crisis has passed. Humans want to travel and see the world. While we appreciate that the pandemic is far from over, already there are reports of pent-up demand for travel as restrictions ease at some destinations and borders begin to open. As we move hopefully toward the recovery phase and people begin to move around for business and pleasure, this book presents the reader with key information and insights in both traditional and emerging areas of tourist health, safety and wellbeing, recognising that the world is now shaped by this pandemic, bringing change, potentially enduring benefits and lasting legacies.

This book brings together prominent administrative law scholars to discuss current administrative issues. It addresses how administrative law has adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic and how to develop emergency responses in future cases. The book also considers the digitization and electronification of administrative law; a topic that gained increasing importance during the pandemic and will increasingly shape public law in the future.