Australia’s Pandemic Exceptionalism
- How we crushed the curve but lost the race
by Steven Hamilton (George Washington University) and Richard Holden (University of New South Wales)

Date: 30 September 2024
Time: 5:30pm - 6:30pm
Venue: Barton Theatre
ANU Crawford School of Public Policy

In many ways, Australia handled the COVID-19 pandemic as well as any country in the world – but what did we get wrong?

Australia’s economic policy response to the pandemic was as effective as any other country’s – and dramatically better than most. Was this inevitable? Was it luck? Was it the product of great institutions? Or a few talented individuals?

Conversely, Australia’s public health response was far more mixed – and disastrous in parts. While we bounded out of the blocks at the start, grave failings on vaccines and testing meant we stumbled, escaping the pandemic many months later than other countries and plunging us into unnecessary lockdowns. Lives were lost and livelihoods were harmed as a result.

In Australia’s Pandemic Exceptionalism, internationally acclaimed economists Steven Hamilton and Richard Holden assess Australia’s public health and economic responses to the pandemic. By analysing Australia’s many successes – and shocking failures – they offer crucial lessons for future crises.