National will charge $3,000 quarantine fee

Stuff reports:

Judith Collins is keen to see Kiwis returning home to New Zealand charged $3000 for their managed self-isolation or quarantine, Stuffunderstands.

The National Party will announce the policy on Sunday to charge all New Zealanders entering the country the fee – around three quarters of the total cost – should the party be elected in September.

The policy wouldn’t apply until October 3, giving Kiwis who didn’t want to pay the fee the chance to rush home.

National does not see any serious legal hurdles in creating such a scheme, and would pass a law to enact the policy if necessary, it’s understood.

There’s pros and cons to this.

The argument against is that NZ citizens have an right to return home to their country. Charging them a fee, undermines that right.

The argument for is that those returning home are generally wealthy and well off, and why should low income families in NZ pay for quarantine costs of returning ex pats.

Anyway Labour has announced they will do much the same, so looks like it will happen.