How are you guys in Australia holding up?

[Simon Barden]

$1bn spent in preventative measures would have seemed a far better investment IMO. But it is the way of governments everywhere to cut spending and just hope things like this don't happen.

Let's hope that things get better quickly, rather than worse.

[king casey]

But it is the way of governments everywhere to cut spending and just hope things like this don't happen.

You've hit the nail on the head.
This is the conservative mantra. Big spending is portrayed as 'economic mis-management' and used ad nauseum in their re-election campaigns.

cheers, Mark.