Morrison should be asked to define what an acceptable death rate will be in order to open up the economy he is so determined to protect and preserve.

The suggestion being whispered within the halls of power is that if opening the economy costs the lives of a few hundred or even a few thousand mostly older Australians, then this is a price that can be easily borne.

After all, the old are not especially useful economic units any more.

As for Papua New Guineans, they would be deemed completely expendable in the name of capitalism.

The attitude would be that most of them are not contributing economic units, just humble folk trying to eke out a subsistence life in the traditional manner.

All must be sacrificed to the demanding great God we call 'The Economy'.

This is the creed of Morrison and the parties he leads.

At bottom, there is nothing more to these people than this one big idea, combined with the absolute necessity to acquire and retain power to prevent any change to the status quo.

Once this is understood, their behaviour in relation to the pandemic becomes easily understandable.