When the Challenger shuttle exploded in 1986, the eventual enquiry found that an internal NASA culture of…

When the Challenger shuttle exploded in 1986, the eventual enquiry found that an internal NASA culture of suppression of individual criticism led to the disaster. I thought of this in relation to National Cabinet and AHPPC, short thread. /1 #auspol #COVID19Aus https://t.co/lQybRIc685

It was clear from the Challenger enquiry that multiple people within NASA knew the disaster was imminent. But their views were suppressed by groupthink mechanisms designed to protect existing internal hierarchies. This is exactly why Morrison set up National Cabinet. /2

He knew our federalist structure made the locus of control on public health action the States and their health departments. He needed a mechanism to smother that diversity. National Cabinet is it. As the pandemic has gone on, it has become more unified, and.../3

...more rejecting of public health advice. It's performing exactly as designed, as a groupthink mechanism to create a solidarity of expertise-free Premiers and PM. It functions to protect members politically, not as a public health body. /4

And that's exactly what happened at NASA. Priority given to protecting hierarchical position and not astronauts. Any group or committee is the same, it will tend to evolve to protect its own existence and the members on it. Morrison knew this. /5

The AMA has demanded to see AHPPC advice to yesterday's National Cabinet meeting. Good luck with that. The AHPPC has also functioned to smother CHO advice under a homogenised framework provided by National Cabinet. /end