The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming the Government's decision not to charge overseas citizens for quarantine if they are returning to New Zealand since the pandemic.

Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke says, “Human rights absolutists will still be concerned about the precedent of charging citizens who leave the country and return, but the Government’s confirmed policy reaches a sensible compromise.”

“It reflects the fact that expats, whose choices are often determined by family situations or visa status, don’t have the same flexibility of travel as people who voluntarily pop out of New Zealand on a holiday or business trip.”

“The Government’s compromise will also avoid a situation where tens or hundreds of thousands of expats rush home to beat a deadline, overwhelming our isolation facilities.”

“Returning New Zealanders who submit to two weeks of quarantine already pay a major cost in terms of time and lost freedoms. Quarantine is almost a textbook example of a public good. It benefits all New Zealanders, not just returnees, so we should all pitch in our fair share.”

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