Writer
Robin Boyle
Robin Boyle lectured in statistics at Deakin University and preceding institutes for three decades until 2009. His academic background in mathematics, economics and finance, as well as statistics, led him to developing teaching software in those areas and to be widely sought after as a textbook author.
-
The RBA is a moribund institution – an incumbrance on the economy
For the last three decades the Reserve Bank of Australia has focused on just one economic goal – a rate of inflation between 2 and 3 per cent. It is a goal they have pursued relentlessly since 1993, regardless of how effective or fair it is. Last Tuesday they increased the cash rate yet again. Continue reading »
-
Australia’s Covid-19 response inquiry: towards an integrated national disaster strategy?
The terms of reference for the Inquiry into the Commonwealth Government Covid-19 Response were released on the 21 September. Ostensibly the inquiry is “to identify lessons learned to improve Australia’s preparedness for future pandemics”. However, what if the next pandemic is nothing like Covid? And how prepared are we for other potential disasters? Continue reading »
-
Government outsourcing: There’s gold in them thar hills!
Government outsourcing in Australia occurs in many ways. It can provide the best outcome for the community. But at the other extreme, it could mean a case of outright corruption. If there is inadequate monitoring and accountability, the Australian public at large could be short-changed due to dubious contracts and too much profiteering. Continue reading »
-
Neoliberalism, risk management and government failure
This economic fad is riddled with hypocrisy. The ‘government off our back’ brigade is quick to put their hand out to government when in trouble. Continue reading »
-
Fools rush in: Morrison’s latest and worst Covid fiasco
What kind of fool am I? The government has made mistake after mistake on COVID. It was silly of me to assume it wouldn’t botch Omicron too. Continue reading »
-
A curate’s egg: the many failures of Australia’s vaccine rollout
Australia’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout was shemozzle. In the second part of a two-part article, Robin Boyle reviews where we failed. Continue reading »
-
A curate’s egg: measuring the successes of Australia’s vaccine rollout
Against the odds, Australia’s vaccine rollout has been largely successful. In the first part of a two-part article, Robin Boyle reviews what worked. Continue reading »
-
Fool’s gold: Australia counts the cost of NSW’s Covid arrogance
Gladys Berejiklian’s petulant leadership and disregard for the rest of the country undermined national efforts to control the virus. Continue reading »
-
Vale the Doherty Model: Unloved by many and misunderstood by most
It is with great relief and pleasure that we announce the passing of DM, the Doherty Model. Continue reading »
-
Doherty has ditched the pledge to First Nations Australians
The Doherty Institute says it’s committed to Indigenous Australians, but it fails to protect marginalised communities. Continue reading »
-
Climate change and the impact of humans – A graphical perspective
The recent report by the IPCC (the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) is ‘code red for humanity’ according to the UN Secretary-General. This warning is a timely reminder to review the role of humans in global warming due to rising greenhouse gas pollution. Continue reading »
-
We can complete a full mRNA rollout by end of 2021. Here’s the plan
How many attempts do we give Scott Morrison to fix the ongoing Covid quarantine and vaccine rollout debacle? There have been mistakes, holdups with vaccine deliveries and unforeseen complications, but it is possible to develop a plan to get us out of the turmoil he has inflicted upon us, and do it by the end Continue reading »
-
Australia’s Covid vaccine rollout, Part 4. A good outcome by Christmas is possible
A move away from AstraZeneca is inevitable in Australia’s vaccine rollout, brought on by the need to reach herd immunity and to resolve the blood clot concerns. We forecast plenty of Pfizer arriving from after September, and the possibility of completing a high efficacy vaccine rollout by December. For the coming months, though, the rollout Continue reading »
-
Australia’s Covid vaccine rollout, Part 3. In June 2021 we are at the crossroads
The first week of June will be significant in Australia’s Covid story. Victoria had entered lockdown on Thursday 27 May after a case of community infection arrived via Adelaide. Another more dangerous variant would also appear. Australians would react with more heading out to get a jab, but not in sufficiently large enough numbers. Pressures Continue reading »
-
Australia’s Covid vaccine rollout, Part 2. What we’ve been delivered
At a press conference about the vaccine rollout in December, Health Minister Greg Hunt said, “our goal is to under-promise and over-deliver”. Over January and February, the rollout was mapped out for us. However, the problems that soon developed were not a case of ‘the best-laid plans’ going awry but more like a case of Continue reading »
-
Australia’s Covid vaccine rollout: what we were promised
How does the original Covid rollout compare with what we are experiencing right now and what we are likely to end up with? In Part 1 we look at what we were promised. In Part 2 we examine how the rollout collapsed. In Part 3 we find that at mid-year, significant changes to our rollout Continue reading »
-
Classic 100: “The music you can’t live without” on the ABC, which we can’t live without.
Detractors of the ABC might not appreciate how important it is to them personally. Apart from the obvious news and current affairs, a constant major pleasure for us comes from ABC Classic FM. At the moment they are conducting their 2021 Classic 100 countdown. Voting is underway until Monday 7 June. The countdown itself will Continue reading »
-
The federal government’s Covid response: avoid responsibility for national quarantine
In its response to Covid, the Morrison government has achieved an almost perfect result in maintaining the Coalition’s record since 2013 of doing nothing, achieving nothing, solving nothing. No big projects, no great initiatives or memorable policies. Failure to tackle key issues such as fire, climate change and Covid. Continue reading »
-
The data show no hint of racism in the India flight ban, though the backlash might be a game changer!
There is no statistical justification for a claim that the India flight ban had a racist basis. Instead, it is clear the commonwealth government was reacting to a huge spike in infected arrivals, placing the quarantine system under pressure. But the backlash from the India ban might jolt the government into accepting their responsibility for Continue reading »
-
I’ll have what Scott’s having, thanks!
It is important that all Australians be vaccinated against Covid-19, but they deserve to be able to choose the vaccine that best suits them. As the federal government’s rollout plan implodes, the good news is that it now seems likely that all Australians who want it will be able to have the higher efficacy Pfizer Continue reading »
-
Vaccine rollout: the value or otherwise of a ‘vaccination certificate’. Part 3
Those who are vaccinated can still become infectious. Therefore proof of vaccination might not be sufficient for international travel as it does not guarantee a person is infection free. A ‘vaccination certificate’ can be wrongly used as a proxy for ‘not infectious’. Continue reading »
-
Herd immunity? Not with AstraZeneca in the frame. Part 2
Because the failed immunity rate for the AstraZeneca vaccine is more than seven times that of the Pfizer vaccine, if the Australian rollout takes place as planned, about 5.5 million people (22% of the population) could still be at risk of getting ill, while some of the remaining 20 million could still become infectious but Continue reading »
-
Rethinking Australia’s Covid vaccine rollout: beware a two-tier system. Part 1
If our rollout proceeds, using two different vaccines, we might create a society of suspicion and division: vaccinated v non-vaccinated, Pfizer v AstraZeneca. Most other countries need to mass vaccinate now but Australia doesn’t. We should forget AstraZeneca and wait for higher efficacy vaccines to avoid having lower overall immunity than those other countries. Continue reading »
-
Without our dithering PM, Australia would be on top of Covid-19 leaderboard
Despite Scott Morrison’s failure on quarantine and aged care, we are still near top spot on responding to the pandemic. While the states have responded well in carrying the burden, imagine how many older people would still be with us if the PM had taken charge as required. Continue reading »
-
Is it time to put our PM and his Treasurer into quarantine?
At some stage many of us reach the point when we conclude that our leaders are not just useless and meddling, but downright dangerous. The Coalition’s monumental bungling of the quarantining of infected Covid-19 arrivals is a continuation of their previous years of ineptness. They have endangered our lives, our economy, our health and well-being Continue reading »
-
There were shocking Covid-19 infection rates in USA arrivals in March – why were flights not shut down?
In early March this year, our experts should have gone in search of hard data. They would quickly have determined that the infection rate in USA arrivals was in dire contrast to the published USA rates. Continue reading »
-
Opening up Australia to international travel – All froth and no bubble!
Since April, a variety of coronavirus travel bubbles involving Australia have been mooted. But will any of them take off? Continue reading »
-
The Victorian lockdown is not just about health and lives!
Recently we have had Peter Singer, WHO envoys and Chris Uhlmann seemingly critical of the Covid-19 lockdown in Victoria. However, have they failed to recognise the significance of Victoria not being a country but one of eight states and territories? Continue reading »
-
Zero-case status is the best COVID-19 option for Australia – And that means stronger controls over international arrivals (Part 2 of 2)
To achieve and continue with zero-case status we need to minimise the risk there will be a major breach in our current systems for quarantining international arrivals. Continue reading »
-
Zero-case status is the best Covid-19 option for Australia – and that means stronger controls over international arrivals (Part 1 of 2)
Australia is the victim of its own success – the jurisdictions that have succeeded will not give up their gains. Thus, Victoria and New South Wales – and Queensland – have to achieve zero-case status too, otherwise we will have a fractured nation and lives that are too far away from normal. Continue reading »
