ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact

Her kids stocked the beach house pantry and made sure their parents wouldn’t long for anything during their state-imposed isolation.

But plans changed.

Denise and Doug Klein-Ross had their plans to spend the self-isolation period at their Lake Betoota beach house derailed before they even left because the government, that they donated to and voted into power, decided they couldn’t be trusted to stay out of the community themselves.

When they alighted the big red and white Airbus in Sydney last weekend, they were dragged out of business class and herded onto a bus like Brahmans up a Kunnanurra loading ramp.

They wouldn’t be taking another red and white skybus to the Diamantina, they would be locked in a room.

A room inside one of the nation’s best hotels, no less.

Speaking to The Advocate via their oversized MacBook Pro that they use exclusively to email and browse the web, Denise said her first week in prison has been gruelling to say the least.

“It’s actually unacceptable,” she said.

“We’d been in Aspen for weeks. Nobody in Aspen has this silly flu as far as I know. Nobody in the circles we run in,”

“All that food my children bought from the markets will go to waste now. They’ll have to throw it all out. There’s no way they’d be able to eat that much quiche! This government has gone mad, I tell you. Forcing people like us into prison!”

“If you’re reading this, Scott! I’m going to vote for you next time but I will be doing it begrudgingly!”

Our reporter reached out to Doug for comment but Denise stepped in to say he’d only make a fool of himself if he opened his mouth.

She then told him to go hang his bathrobe up in the ensuite, not the bedroom.

From the Skype call, our reporter was able to see Doug look up at the roof, then out the window.

More to come.