On this episode of Democracy Sausage we take a look at the rising infection rate in Victoria, the optics of Scott Morrison going to the football on the weekend, what the modelling tells us about the virus’ trajectory, and Trump’s troubles in the US.

On this episode, we speak with The Australian National University’s Meg Keen, Henry Ivarature, and Nicole Haley about the successes and struggles in the Pacific Island region as it manages the coronavirus crisis.

On this Democracy Sausage, Mark Kenny is joined by former long-time public servant Allan Behm to discuss community values in the COVID-19 crisis, the “serious vacancies in leadership” around the world, and learning the lessons of history to understand China’s behaviour.

The success of the National Cabinet has shown politicians the value that Australians place on political cooperation. But can the government use this changed landscape to tackle the policy challenges facing the country and disarm the weaponised political disagreement of the climate wars? Mark Kenny talks to Annabel Crabb of the ABC about how the country’s politics has changed as a result of the coronavirus crisis.

Evidence is emerging in Indonesia of a serious rise in mental health problems associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, and the crisis has revealed the urgent need for investment in the area, Sudirman Nasir writes.

Discussion of education during the pandemic has focused almost solely on losses of funding at universities, but the economic and social role of international students outside universities has been relatively ignored, Angela Lehmann writes.