Legal? - QLD forced quarantine (jail/house arrest) will start charging Aussies $2800

Queensland introduces charges for overseas travellers

Aussies returning from overseas have been forced into mandatory quarantine in hotels since March, which has been paid by the Aussie government. Now QLD is about to charge Aussies $2,800 for this "privilege", and maybe other states might follow.

The government is basically placing all returning Aussies under house arrest like criminals with police and military guards as soon as someone lands at the airport all the way until they arrive at the hotel, and have police and military guarding the hotels 24/7.

Is this all legal? How can the government be giving free quarantine to Aussies in the past for many months then forcing other returning Aussies in the future to pay it? Every Aussie should be treated the same way. If others had it free, then it should continue. Otherwise make all Aussies in the past liable to pay for their past hotel quarantine & send them a bill for it.

How can the government take money from people who are being detained against their will? Do you think there will be class action lawsuits in the future with Aussies being treated like prisoners then being asked to pay for being treated like prisoners?

 

I don't get your logic here.If something was free once it should be free forever?

What's the problem with this exactly if its for the purpose of enforcing a quarantine?

 

No doubt the Government has sought legal advice from the attorney general that it is legal.

They would have changed the laws to allow this.

 

Presumably if these people cared enough they would have come back months ago. I think australia should just leave them wherever they are until covid blows over, why should we risk the safety of all we've worked for here

 

It is not compulsory to return. Paying for your quarantine will be a condition of returning. I believe the Northern Territory already charges for this.

Why should states continue to pick up the bill?

If you don’t want to pay, don’t return.

 

Flights were cancelled I believe in March. The only ones who have come back since then were on repatriation fights and the Aussie government was happy to give free 14 day quarantine to those people. Others have been trapped overseas due to no available flights since cancellation of commercial flights and no or limited repatriation flights.

NZ eliminated Covid19 a few days ago. Some other countries have eliminated community transmissions too. So the Aussie government should abandon on their plans of an Aus-NZ travel hub over the next few months until "Covid19 blows over", which could take years or might never blow over, eg. Beijing's new wave of Covid19?

 

The present cost is actually paid by each state and the Commonwealth Govt funds half of the state cost. The Commonwealth position is that ScoMo suggested foreigners leave and Aussie return asap in March and a end date is now needed for this cost. And the number of cases caught in this quarantine process has been a VERY good way to stop transmission. The daily reports keep including "travellers in quarantine". The effectiveness cant be disputed.

All persons arriving into Australian whether an "aussie" or PR or a student will face a cost. No discrimination on this issue. Same as Asutralisn residents and PRs who are here are legally barred from leaving Australia. Many have applied for special consideration (eg funderals) and been refused and would have faced paid for quanrantine overseas eg NZ. It works both ways.

If you dont like it dont travel. Its so easy to avoid.

 

Flights were frequently available in March and well into April. My son-in-law was in Japan and changed his flight to return on 18th March. Daily flights available and the travel agent got him a seat the same day contacted. He then home quarantined for the 14 days. Not sure when hotel quarantine became compulsory.

NZ has recorded 2 new cases in the last day or two.

 

I don't object to my taxes being spent this way. People aren't being given the choice (AIUI) as to whether to go into quarantine or where to go, and the money is going into supporting an industry that's been very hard hit.

 

It's not compulsory but when all those overseas countries who are offering foreigners amnesty stop their amnesty then you will be illegally in the country. Then you face the likelyhood of getting caught by immigration and being put in an immigration detention facility, pay fines and possibly be banned from coming back to that country. Same with people who have a visa and their visa expires, you need to return home.

 

Why does quarantine need to be done in each CBD in a luxury 5 star hotel when it can be done in an average hotel out of the city for 40% less the cost to the government? Surely the government would've saved a ton of money that way if money was a concern.

 

Nope

 

Could also be done in a 2 star hotel in the CBD if being out of the CBD is the issue. No need for 5 star hotels to splash out on luxury if money is a problem for the government.

 

All pretty baffling.

- Australians were told to come home 17 March.
- "Free" Quarantine started on 29 March.....but not actually free, paid by Australian taxpayers.
- People are being quarantined in order to protect the economy and health of Australians. Pretty much all new cases in AU now are returnees. What do you propose..... a debacle like the UK ?

Adults need to take some responsibility for themselves. Life unfortunately involves inconvenience and hassle.

 

Entitlement mentality?

Seems like people think tax dollars are free and unlimited....... but I guess so do politicians

 

Can you give an example of Australians being affected by ‘overseas countries who are offering foreigners amnesty’ stopping it or warning that they are going to do so - and where visa can’t be extended?

Also, people have to pay for food and accommodation wherever they are.