I assumed that the author's Australia choice was not so much about politics but about the geographical mood, so that the Slightly-Better-Promise(d) Land could plausibly be an autarky with natural borders.

Yeah I'm sure you're right, it's just used as a "Meanwhile, somewhere with a different take on how this could all play out...."

TBH I was just looking for an excuse to share that link because the stupidity on display there has blown my mind.