"As I have been signalling for several weeks, we believe people returning to New Zealand should assist with the considerable expense of accommodating them in managed isolation facilities," Megan Woods said.
"Our number-one priority is to ensure the safety of all New Zealanders. Keeping Covid-19 contained at the border is an expensive, and logistically difficult, operation.
"As we have made clear on numerous occasions, we are working through policy options on a cost-recovery scheme.
"This requires detailed investigation to ensure that any cost recovery system is fair and equitable, and is balanced with the legal rights of New Zealand citizens and permanent residents to come back home.
"This Government has the responsibility of ensuring that any cost recovery regime is robust and workable.
"National's stated commitment to a charging regime is a good sign there will be widespread parliamentary support for such a move.
"It is complex, but we are making good progress and we expect to make an announcement on this soon," said Megan Woods.
Woods will give a stand-up at her electorate office in Christchurch at 3.30pm.
Earlier today it was revealed that anyone who arrived in New Zealand from October 3 would be charged a $3000 fee per adult for their managed isolation if National wins the election.
The party's Covid-19 Border Response spokesman Gerry Brownlee said the fee would be used to "partially meet the costs of their quarantine".
Each adult would be required to pay $3000 per adult towards the cost.
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.
"Currently taxpayers are funding a long and very expensive Government response to let people come into the country. It's entirely fair that those who benefit pay a share," he said.
"This fee is for the purpose of cost recovery to reduce the burden on New Zealand taxpayers, and to cover some of the costs of accommodation and food over the 14 days of required quarantine for persons entering the country."
Brownlee said there could be exemptions on compassionate grounds but only for New Zealand citizens and permanent residents.
National's policy was similar to that used in New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia, he said.
"Two-week quarantining looks likely to be with us for a while," Brownlee said.
"This is a practical solution to a growing problem."
New National leader Judith Collins also commented earlier today.
"I want us to have a fair system ... it also needs to be compassionate," Collins told TVNZ's Q+A this morning.
In late June, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern confirmed the Government was considering part-charging those in managed isolation.
But she said it was a "complex area" and legal issues had to be canvassed.
She said New Zealanders were coming home "for a range of very significant and often dire circumstances".
"I'd say if you're making the choice at your expense to travel overseas, then you should meet the full cost of that holiday," she said.
"My view is that if you're making the choice to go on a holiday offshore with the expectation that taxpayers pick up the tab on your return, that it's right for us to look at whether or not we can deal with that.
"Not only does it put extra pressure on our system for New Zealanders who need to come home, you actually have a choice over whether you leave or not."
Ardern said the Government would move "cautiously" on the matter.
The next day Megan Woods, the minister in charge of managed isolation, spoke further on the matter.
She acknowledged New Zealanders had a legal right to return home and could not be stopped.
"That's what we're working through ... and it could well require legislative change," she told the Herald.
"One of the things we also need to make sure is that we're essentially not setting up a test for New Zealanders based on how much money they've got in their bank account.
"We'd have to make sure we had hardship measures in there as well ... that people can pay it back over a period of time, for example."
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Comments
I think the time may have come to include these types of unexpected events into travel insurance and make it mandatory for international travellers to be able to cover their own costs.
Many New Zealand taxpayers couldn't even afford to stay in 4-star accommodation for a couple of nights, let alone 2 weeks, and I'm guessing that a lot of people believe isolation in 4-star hotels is just a bit over the top if they're struggling to put food on the table for their children.
Seems fair enough. Megan Woods is claiming it is govt policy already, shame they have done nothing about it; like most things.