Mostyn said the government needed to provide the community with an impartial voice, preferably from an expert, that could communicate difficult information and specific instructions.
As she explained, during the bushfire emergency this past summer, the nation heard from NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons nearly everyday. His expertise and authority was evident to all in the community.
Mostyn suggested Dr Norman Swan as someone who could take on this role.
“He’s became a defacto, trusted source of news,” she said.
‘A single source of truth is necessary during this crisis, akin to the incredible Shane Fitzsimmons during the bushfires, to update the Australian public,’ @sammostyn
Who should it be? #qanda
— Georgie Dent (@georgiedent) March 16, 2020
Mostyn said that the messages the community has received from politicians thus far have often been confusing, and that politicians tend to “smooth” messages out to make us feel better.
Mostyn is a business and sustainability advisor, as well as one Australia’s most successful non-executive directors. She made clear it was paramount that business and government work together to get through this crisis, particularly in looking after the large number of Australians who are in insecure work.
“The package we saw come out last week, the $17 billion, does a lot of good work in putting money into the economy to try to help with those who will be most affected, but it does leave a huge number of people, probably 40 per cent of the population, who are in insecure work who don’t have any guaranteed rights, and not knowing where they’ll get their money,” she said.
Sam Mostyn absolutely nails it every time she speaks. She’s leading with ideas on this panel #QandA @sammostyn
— Jenny Brockie (@JenBrockie) March 16, 2020
“Many of these workers are inside the very systems that are actually holding us up at the moment with the human support for aged care, for disability care, and our hospital systems,” she said.
“So they’re very vulnerable and if they come down with the virus and have to isolate themselves, again, I’m not sure they have confidence about where the money will come for them in the intervening period.”
How good is @sammostyn? Calm, smart, strategic, rational, no BS. She unites people & speaks for both business and the vulnerable. She’d make an excellent Prime Minister now I think of it. #qanda
— Dr Julia Baird (@bairdjulia) March 16, 2020