The price of readmission

A Kiwi in London looking to return says she could not afford what would feel like a ‘‘punishment’’ . . .

As Covid-19 rages on in the United States and South America and lingers in Europe, lockdown-free New Zealand exerts an even stronger pull. That’s especially so for Kiwis in foreign lands, some of whom may have lost their jobs in the economic fallout. For others, New Zealand’s coronavirus successes may have accelerated plans or forced a rethink about coming home.

Naturally all Kiwis have a right to come back and should also expect to feel welcome in their own country. The danger in the current climate is what unintended baggage they may bring with them.

The crop of infections – and bungles – involving returnees at the border quarantine facilities has rightly put the spotlight on our best line of defence for keeping Covid out of the community. Fixing the flaws identified over the past week is the priority, but the Government is also looking at the mounting cost of keeping thousands in hotels for the 14-day quarantine period, given that the numbers are projected to keep rising.

The number of Kiwis returning home has doubled since last month, with 4200 now in quarantine, forcing more hotels to be turned into isolation facilities. The cost of keeping them there is already large – $81 million for managing isolation and quarantine facilities until the end of June, with $298m budgeted for the rest of the year.

For the small number of foreigners given exemptions to come to New Zealand, such as the Avatar film crew, who paid for their hotel stay, cost recovery for quarantine is a no-brainer; it’s the price of admission. It’s a more nuanced argument whether returning New Zealanders should also pay some of that price.

The question of quarantine co-payments will be looked at by the Cabinet and, like many other thorny issues thrown up by the coronavirus, it’s a balancing act between individual rights and the public good. Queensland is bringing in a copayment of around A$200 a day for all returning international travellers next month, to reduce the financial burden on its taxpayers – its quarantine bill is A$24m so far.

Any money recovered from a co-payment here could be put towards increasing our capacity to meet the expected increase in returning Kiwis. It could also be seen as the returnees doing their bit for the country, as all those who made financial sacrifices here during lockdown did to squash the curve.

But against the co-payment proposal is whether it infringes basic rights. Under the Bill of Rights Act, New Zealand citizens have the human right to enter the country. Under the Immigration Act, permanent residents have a legal right to entry.

A quarantine recovery cost – using the Queensland proposal it could be about $2800, including food and drinks – could amount to an unreasonable barrier to that entry right. A Kiwi in London looking to return home in August says she could not afford what would feel like a ‘‘punishment’’ by the Government. Means testing or a hardship grant scheme would not be simple to administer.

Overall, the huge costs of the Covid-19 response – $11 billion and counting for the wage subsidy scheme alone – mean recovering some money from returning Kiwis would be a drop in the bucket.

With the borders such a crucial part of our defence for the foreseeable future, the quarantine cost of New Zealanders coming home may just be the price we pay. You could look at it as a longerterm investment in our people.