"She knew she would need to self isolate for 14 days at home, and she made the necessary arrangements for that to occur."
Sympathies Glug, but while your sister's decision to follow her personal wish to be with her daughter is entirely understandable, the above was an assumption made when all indications were of a progressive tightening of restrictions and an unknown future in a fast moving situation. Your mother seemed to appreciate that ... as did many others.
Your sister unfortunately placed herself in the company of those many returning Australians who didn't bother with the inconvenience of genuine "self isolation" on arrival.
I think the Australian people are being extremely generous in so far, paying for the required "forced" isolation.
In my view, after a short "grace" period, it is equitable that the costs should be borne by those who attracted them. Means tested if necessary or just a standard HECS type debt.
Everyone makes mistakes and wrong judgments at times. In older generations it was understood that where possible, you paid for those personal mistakes.
Now, the growing "entitlement" generations insist it should always be at someone else's expense and they should be able to follow their desires without accepting any consequences.
