It has been reported today by RNZ that National and Labour are looking at teaming up to charge people for being forced into quarantine upon returning to New Zealand. Or, to pass a law to economically stripping people of their most basic right to be a New Zealander. Stopping New Zealanders entering their country of citizenship has already happened with the quotas on arrivals. Now upon entry we will be quarantined and admittedly most of us are fine with that. We don’t want to bring COVID 19 into the country. Really, what sort of people do you think we are?
But charging us for our imprisonment? What is going through peoples minds? Will we now be charging prisoners for going to jail? How about people who are held on remand but then found not guilty which would be somewhat closer to the quarantine situation. On entering New Zealand under this legislation people would be detained. They would have their rights under the Bill of Rights removed and then, even though they are found not guilty of trying to bring in the virus they would then be charged for their imprisonment at a rate decided by the government.
There is a reason Labour and National have to change the law to do this. That’s because it is illegal. And not just illegal, it is an attack on our basic rights under the steadily eroding Bill of Rights.
Freedom of movement
- Everyone lawfully in New Zealand has the right to freedom of movement and residence in New Zealand.
- Every New Zealand citizen has the right to enter New Zealand.
- Everyone has the right to leave New Zealand.
- No one who is not a New Zealand citizen and who is lawfully in New Zealand shall be required to leave New Zealand except under a decision taken on grounds prescribed by law.
But cool, lets go down the path they are taking with a little bit of logic and fairness added. OK, maybe not logic because the logic of user pays was thrown out a long time ago because some people can’t pay and the reason is generally that others have managed to grab the resources. But hey, let’s run with it.
All those New Zealanders were out of the country when over the COVID 19 period should not be required in any way shape or form to pay back any part of the $50,000,000,000 that the government borrowed to keep people in the country afloat. We weren’t there, we didn’t benefit, so by Labour and Nationals logic we shouldn’t have to pay. We are so glad that we won’t have to pay the extra $10,000 per person in taxes that you guys racked up while we were away. That’s cool eh?
I think half the problem here is that everybody has got so comfortable with having their economy propped up by people from overseas migrating to New Zealand. Well, there’s a pay back folks. You see, the 70,000 or so people that the government was more than happy to get into the country last year have overseas connections. In fact, they all came from overseas. Over 1,000,000 people living in New Zealand now were born overseas. So hey, we love you guys, and thanks for bringing all that money and propping up our housing market and but don’t care if you have family overseas or if your parents want to see their grandchildren or whatever really. We just brought you in to line the pockets of our upper middle class and rich people and so we could look good in graphs. Your not real New Zealanders.
And speaking of New Zealanders. Where exactly is the government going to find the moral ground to tell Maori that they will now be charged to enter their country. How’s that going to go?
“Yeah, sorry folks. Err…I know we sort of nicked your country and then treated you like shit for 150 or so years until many of you were economically deprived and headed overseas for better opportunities, but if you want to visit your families or come back then pull out your EFTPOS card and line up over here.”
Here’s an idea. How about in the good times the government puts money away for the bad times. Not just the ones they cause with their insane neo-capitalist policies but the ones that come along every ten years or so that somehow always seem to lead to an erosion of most peoples rights and funds while the government gives a calming hot stone and manuka oil massage to the rich.
Here’s another idea. Instead of placing people in hotels like the SO/ in Auckland that markets itself as,
The symbol of french elegance in luxury hospitality around the world
https://www.so-auckland.com/
and looks like it is owned by an overseas company. How about you put people in New Zealand owned accommodation and stop whining about the price of paying us to,
Enjoy a gastronomical journey with Michelin-starred chef, Marc de Passorio at Harbour Society or be amazed by the Auckland’s most gorgeous rooftop bar, HI-SO.
https://www.so-auckland.com/wine-dine/
…that you forced on us. A price that is currently 0.0016% of the money you were prepared to borrow while we weren’t there to pay for all New Zealand. Or does user pays not sound like so much fun now?
And just to finish off, let’s turn it around. You see, most of the people you are depriving of their rights and quarantining aren’t really getting any benefit from it. Most of them are perfectly healthy and the only reason they are being detained is to protect you. You should be reimbursing them. They shouldn’t have to pay $3000 to be confined. You should be paying them $3000 for confining them.
