Careful that you're not just transposing your personal view as that of the rest of the world.
I have not had any of my overseas friends, expatriate or otherwise, express the contempt that you seem to think is universal.

my experience also

I was working overseas in Malaysia for 2 years but made the decision in March 2020 not to stay there during a pandemic so came home in the 2nd week of March just before borders were shut and with a cheap $400 airfare. Admittedly at the time I thought I would be able to return after 1 or 2 months but I do not regret my decision as would much rather ride out a pandemic here. Friends of mine in Asia have got seriously ill from catching Covid possibly left with long term health issues.

Many ozzies stuck overseas can return if they have the money for a First or Biz class airfare and I know people who have done this and then also spent money on hotel accommodation. And of course if you have a boat or private plane you can get back fairly easily. Most boat entry ports other than Thursday Island are operating normally to process international arrivals. So its unfortunately often economic reasons why ozzies are still stuck overseas.

ScoMo has his Shark One A330 to fly around in and luxurious home quarantine. For most of the rest of us, saving up for a first class airfare would be the practical way to get home at the moment.

Hotel quarantine failure after failure.

Vacine rollout failure after failure.

State governance failure after failure.

Why push on with an approach that is obviously unstable and has been since the IAF?

Unjfortunately we are all the passengers on this one way flight.

MCD

Not so, because so many are also leaving and coming back. Plus only 39% of arrivals are Australians. So if they could prioritise them a 50% cut would make no difference.

Overseas Travel Statistics, Provisional, May 2021 | Australian Bureau of Statistics (abs.gov.au)

The 128,000 who died within 28 days of receiving a positive covid test you mean? Death could have been from many other causes but they were all logged as covid deaths (even some road accident victims in there). Bear in mind too that Australia is a Cul-de-Sac in the worldwide scheme with a very low population density whereas UK is a major crossroad with a far denser and more elderly population.

The fact that your pollies are STILL locking down more than fifteen months after the Pandemic was declared is, quite frankly, laughable...

I'm actually the opposite of this - I'm glad I decided not to return as I'm fortunate to be in a place where life is relatively normal, we haven't had any lockdowns, new case numbers are very low, I've recieved both doses of my preferred vaccine and I'm still lucky enough to have a job and being paid. Sure the money is less than what I was getting when flying a full roster, but it's more than enough to survive on and still put some away.

IMHO the way the Australian politicians (especially state premiers) have been carrying on during this pandemic is an absolute disgrace, and the on-again-off-again lockdowns would be enough to drive you mad, so I'm more than happy not to have to put up with that. The same with panic buying in the supermarkets and people abusing health officials at vaccination centres.

Of course it's still home, and it's frustrating not to be able to come and go freely, but I made the choice not to return for a visit whilst they still have the quarantine requirements in place for overseas arrivals. It'll probably be next year at the earliest before that will be an option, which means it will have been over 2 years between visits for me, but I know others who have been happy to go home and serve the quarantine time. Good for them, that's their choice. I still think I'm lucky to be in the position I'm in as I know there are many trying to return but for various reasons they cannot, also there are many expats that have lost jobs and some will more than likely never fly again. It's a mad world at the moment and I'm happy to ride things out where I am, but I do miss home.

Did you even read the statistics? 45% of arrivals are from New Zealand. I seem to remember Australia has a travel bubble established so maybe they are not using the quarantine system.

So how about we cut out the NZ arrivals and keep the returning aussies at the existing level. That is almost a 50% reduction. Same stats can be used for both sides of an argument. Our politicians are a disgrace in this country!

There is a certain breed of human (I use human with qualifiers) that are revelling in this crisis..these people come to the fore whenever something like this happens..wartime, pandemics, floods, earthquakes etc etc.

They are the minimum wage earning, or bureaucratic desk holding, utility belt wearing, clipboard holding, fluro vest wearing, 2 way radio carriers. This is their time, this was what they were born to do, they’re f$&king loving it..

They have the authority to tell you to pull up your mask!, keep your distance!, wash your hands!, get your vaccine!, show your vaccination cert!, scan your app!…

they sigh, it’s so frustrating, why can’t people just fall into line, “we’re just doing our jobs.”

Don’t believe they’re gonna let this opportunity go in a hurry!

if ever

Then there is this breed of human......

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-07-...ches/100262790

Why cut arrivals that don't use the quarantine system? As long as the travel bubble is established, it is 'quarantine-free' travel and unlikely to be a burden on states.

And there is the special breed of policeman with his nose hanging out of his facemask while man-handling someone for not wearing mask.

I suppose the policeman could be one of those 'mouth breathers'...

Yes, I see what you mean. Continue the arrest of someone who can't follow simple rules or constantly fiddle with the mask not designed for physical exertion? This is the policeman's lot.

The point of arresting the woman was, surely, that she may be a carrier of Covid 19 and spreading it to patrons by not wearing a mask, in breach of the law? What, then, is the point of a policeman getting up close and personal with the women, without proper PPE?

Here is the 4 stage plan that Scomo announced yesterday -

Hahahahahahaha. Absolutely perfect and very fitting.

.......................

If the policemen who arrested 'Sister Mary Jane Rainforest I Don't Wear Masks' from Bowral all contracted the Delta strain of Covid 19, would we all be aghast and wondering how that could possibly happen?

Why are so many things done in such a half-arsed way in this country?

I don't really blame the individual policemen. I blame their leadership. Sending them in, without proper PPE, to arrest someone for not wearing a mask mandated for the purposes of reducing the spread of a highly infectious strain of Covid 19 is like sending them without weapons to a reported armed hold-up.

Kiwis don't take up quarantine spaces.

Australia - the half-arsed country. Apt.