Gerry Brownlee: National defends isolation charge, says Kiwis have had enough time to get home

National says Kiwis have had plenty of time to get home. The party's Covid-19 Border Response spokesperson, Gerry Brownlee, has announced that under a National Government returnees will be charged $3000 for quarantine. Additional adults in a room if a couple had arrived would be charged an additional $1000. Children under 3 years will have no cost and over 3 years will see an additional $500. Brownlee says if his party wins the election, the changes will begin at 11.59pm on October 3. He told The Weekend Collective it's cost around $81 million for the return of about 20,000 New Zealanders - and there's no end in sight. "There are, of course, hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders who live overseas. The Government's allocated a further $280-odd million for the balance of the year, and you just have to think, is that a reasonable charge on the New Zealand tax payer, people who actually live in this country and who are paying their taxes?" He says New Zealanders have had four months to come home. "This is just saying, rather than the choices you've made falling back on the taxpayers palm like this, there is going to be a part-payment you will have to meet." Brownlee says the policy is similar to policies signed off across the Tasman, in New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia. The Government is welcoming National's policy. Megan Woods, the Minister in charge of managed isolation and quarantine, says the Government's working through policy options on a cost-recovery scheme, with an announcement expected soon. She says National’s commitment to a charging regime is a good sign there'll be widespread parliamentary support See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.