Australian COVID politics are clear now. Morrison has completely given up, because he is a weak man overwhelmed by more capable state leaders, and perhaps also because of a core LNP/IPA belief that 'government is bad', therefore he should govern as little as possible.

But Morrison was originally important, because he set the strategy of controlled containment rather than elimination, way back (aided by unwise expert advice). Again, libertarian small government imperatives were likely at play.

We didn't agree: https://twitter.com/Gergyl/status/1257813797709873153?s=20

Nor did New Zealand... https://twitter.com/Gergyl/status/1260710219740442630?s=20

That's changed, importantly because Victoria changed tack. Sometime in August, in the middle of its horrendous second wave lockdown, Andrews appears to have decided, fvck this, we're going to elimination (as, previously, had Qld, SA, WA and Tasmania, with far less drama).

No announcement was made of course, they just decided to repudiate Morrison's 'national' position of controlled containment, which is now left with just one adherent -- Berejiklian in NSW ... which, must be said, has run that strategy well (perhaps with some luck).

Obvious problem is that seven states and territories running effective elimination whilst the eighth and largest instead runs a controlled containment strategy is not exactly a recipe for happy harmony. It's also a massive indictment of national leadership.

Episodic near-arbitrary internal border closures are the predictable outcome. That's where we're at in Australia -- 'one' and 'free', according to Mr Morrison.