ScoMo is applying his marketing knowledge called “the Overton window”.
This is the range of policies that are possible at any given time:
‘A given policy is :-
- Unthinkable, then
- Radical, then
- Acceptable,
- Sensible,
- Popular and finally
- Policy.
For example we started with “no we won’t close our borders”, “well only to the Chinese”, “fourteen day voluntary quarantine”, “no europeans”, and after one or two more steps, “no foreigners and don’t leave Australia”.
Then “keep everything open”, “work from home”, “500 max”, “100 max”, “four square meters”, and now “maybe suburban lockdowns.”
That should tell you that we will be at total lockdown by the end of next weekend.
The Overton window approach is required to try and prevent the general population from panicking which would do more damage than Coronavirus.