What's the reasoning behind requiring wall sockets to be switched in Australia?
I don't know the official explanation, but I can think of two reasons. Firstly, from a historical perspective, years ago portable appliances often had no switches and some still don't. I'm thinking of things like electric jugs and old toasters with flip down sides.
Radios also didn't have switches, the reason being that because double pole switches did not exist as part of the volume control potentiometer and it was illegal to have a single pole switch in a portable appliance. This is because with no live/neutral polarity guaranteed in the GPO at the time, an appliance could still be live with the switch off. Switching by the GPO only would guarantee the live is switched.
The second reason I can think of is it is far safer to insert and withdraw a plug with the power off. Think of gradually removing the plug of a 2.4KW radiator with the power on and the arcing that will occur between the plug pins and socket contact. Worse with inductive loads. It may not be such an issue with 110V, but with the 210-250V that has been used here it is far more safer and sensible. Australians have often been horrified at some overseas electrical safety practices...non earthed domestic wiring, live chassis radios/televisions and live train tracks are some of things that come to mind.
