It needs to be replaced with a true "government of national unity" with the authority to impose binding decisions on all states and territories.

That government must include members of the Federal, state and territory oppositions. This would ensure a diverse range of views and guarantee all Australians were represented.

Collective responsibility would also shut down MPs and senators who have been taking pot shots at those doing their best to deal with the crisis.

While the PM, and other members of the "national cabinet" including the premiers of NSW and Victoria and our own Chief Minister, were right to condemn those who flouted social distancing regulations over the weekend, this has not been their finest hour either.

The body created to ensure states and territories all acted in accordance with the best medical and expert advice, and that everybody was singing off the same song sheet, has let Australia down.

The absurd confusion over school and border closures in different territories and states, apparently at least in part along partisan political lines, is a disgrace.

Decisions by both Victoria and the ACT to close schools without adequately explaining what would happen to the children of essential services workers has left tens of thousands of parents desperately confused.

In NSW the situation is even worse. The Premier, Gladys Berejiklian, told parents the schools were staying open but that they should keep their children at home.

The waters were muddied even further during Question Time on Monday by the PM's passionate defence of the medical advice, just reiterated by the chief medical officer, to keep schools open.

While he wasn't calling anybody out, he could not have made it more clear the ACT and Victoria had acted on their own, and against the joint decision of the "national cabinet".

Things are even worse when it comes to border closures. Come 4pm today (Tuesday) if you cross from Victoria to South Australia you will need to go into self-quarantine for the next 14 days. If you cross the same border in the opposite direction no sanctions will apply.

The same will be the case for the border between NSW and Queensland from midnight on Wednesday. If you go from NSW to Queensland you have to self-isolate. If you go the other way you will be as free as a bird.

Then there is the wide variation in what "lockdown" apparently means from state to state. Problems with the NSW government's website on Monday meant by the end of the day hundreds of businesses were still not sure if they should be closed.

That technical fail was quickly overshadowed by the collapse of the federal government's "myGov" website.

The confusion can place lives at risk. The decision by NSW authorities to allegedly deviate from agreed upon procedures relating to cruise ships on the basis the Ruby Princess had only been to New Zealand may have placed tens of thousands of people across the country at risk of catching COVID-19.

Ever since this began The Canberra Times has said Australians must have confidence in the authorities. If people stop trusting leaders and recognised experts chaos will quickly ensue.

The biggest threat to that confidence is the disunity and politicking within a national cabinet that has been exposed as little more than COAG on steroids.