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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