Cash offers an easy means of avoiding tax — one plenty of ordinary Australians use — so the government is keen to crack down on big cash payments.
The cashless trend has seen large financial institutions gain a growing influence over the day-to-day, transaction-by-transaction, operations of independent businesses, and their profit incentives don’t always align with SMEs.
It is unlikely that cash is going to completely disappear anytime soon, but as businesses start to plan their way out of pandemic trading, the growing influence of cashless payments is already changing the day-to-day lives of SME owners.
Cash is never coming back — we know that. But what precisely will replace it remains a fiercely fought battle.
Such has been the impact of COVID-19 on our daily lives, that some things are unlikely to ever be the same again. The Mandarin has hypothesised about a future society where cash is no longer required or permitted.
When did so many Australians fall out of love with cash? The most recent survey of consumer payment behaviour from the Reserve Bank of Australia suggests it’s been a long time coming.
One whistleblower hotline has seen an uptick in calls thanks to the pandemic. While disclosure may be uncomfortable, it can also give early warning on big problems, says whistleblowing expert Sally McDow.
Former premier Anna Bligh discusses evacuating a hospital while a cyclone loomed, finding leadership lessons in everyday life, and working from home for the first time in her career.
SA finished its emergency mobilisation strategy just as lockdown began, allowing Erma Ranieri to take on the new role of mobilisation coordinator. She discusses how the state redeployed public servants 'within two or three days', and keeping the good parts of lockdown when life returns to normal.
The pandemic has highlighted security vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure, says a veteran of the US government's cyber emergency response team.
Investing in policy labs and innovation hubs could help Australian governments tackle other policy problems as well as we've responded to COVID-19. A recent crisis response panel featuring Lisa Paul and Ben Hubbard looked at the importance of war-gaming and institutional capability.
Good record-keeping will allow the story of the coronavirus pandemic to be told. The challenge is making sure data is still readable for future generations.
Faced with fake news and now a pandemic, Taiwan is responding with memes — and they might be more effective than you think. It's all part of a broader movement in creative tech innovation headed up by an unconventional minister.
To mark Privacy Awareness Week, Victoria’s anti-corruption Commissioner Robert Redlich shares his tips for how the public sector can protect against the risk of unauthorised release or misuse of sensitive public sector information, particularly when working from home.
This article is part of the COVID-19 in Australia infograms collection.
