The problem the pandemic has shown up is that our political culture is not robust enough to mediate differences of values re the balance of public safety and personal freedom.

The reason Dan Andrews v Frydenberg is so unsatisfying is they're both right, and many Victorians agree with both of them. It would be a shame to have a 3rd wave, it is also a shame everyone has to stay indoors for extra days and weeks on end.

The public health orders like stage 4 lockdown and curfew etc are so winner takes all. It's not like a budget that you can carve up a little differently to satisfy more people. Everyone has to stay indoors. It's very hard to calibrate.

The way the Victorian govt "solved" this excruciating public policy dilemma is to opt for the path of least regret with the most paternalistic quasi elimination strategy.

And honestly, who can blame them? Would you rather have a few more days and weeks of stupid dictator memes or be responsible for deaths? The federal court basically sided with WA on the same basis - it's a pandemic, precautionary principle makes sense.

But it absolutely does suck for young people who would probably be fine, business owners, those who would rather live life and take their chances. There's no getting around it, the polity imposed a collective solution on a bunch of people who weren't willing.

This isnt even unique to the pandemic though. I am a civil libertarian that has to live in a state where cops can break encryption for crimes that fall a long LONG way short of violence or serious harm, because more people are authoritarians who have heeby jeebies about crime.