National and maybe Labour have proposed a $3000 re-entry tax for NZ citizens wanting to come home. Some reasons to oppose it:
(1) Benefit from quarantining doesn’t just go to individuals. There’s a public benefit to limiting the risk of spreading covid-19. Govt shd fund this. /1 https://twitter.com/henrycooke/status/1284738421529866241

(2) This will take the hardest toll on NZers overseas w/ little savings or low incomes. Not fair that these NZers shd face debt when visas expire or shd be particularly deterred from coming home if they can stay overseas longer. Move discriminates against lower income NZers. /2

(3) Quarantining is part of NZ’s health response to covid-19. Our public health system is generally publicly funded. This tax is a user-pays model that is inconsistent w/ that principle. (Yes, we don’t fund everything but we shd hv a starting point of limiting user-pays fees.) /3

(4) Legally there is a right for citizens to return to their country of origin. That right can’t be hollow or just a paper protection. Slapping a $3000 fee on citizens returning home significantly impedes that right, meaning it is being actively undermined through policy. /4

Other reasons too. It’s a gutless move when NZers overseas wanting to come home may find it hard to mobilise politically or may not be able to vote (yes, there’s tragics who can tweet, but that’s not all of us). No evidence govt can’t fund this as part of emergency response. /5

Overall, during the govt’s response to covid-19 it’s decided to bear a number of costs that would otherwise be incurred by individuals to keep everyone safe. Quarantining seems legitimately part of this overall framework at a time of emergency. This policy should be opposed. /6

(Side-point: ppl have no choice to pay this fee. So I think it’s fair to characterise it as a tax. This also means if the govt were to push this through I think there’s a good argument it would have to be introduced as legislation. Time for us NZers overseas to get organised.) /7

Coupla cases that seem likely to crop up: for someone out of work at end of their visa, will Govt really force them to take on a $3000 debt in some cases to come home? For someone rushing home for close family member’s funeral+wanting to stay in NZ, will Govt push this fee? /8