Astonishing. 3 public health scholars with absolutely no relevant expertise purporting to accurately state the incredibly complex legal situation around NZ citizens overseas having their return prevented or delayed further by increased border measures. https://i.stuff.co.nz/opinion/124095924/covid19-science-and-law-are-clear---its-time-to-cut-travel-from-highrisk-countries

I defer to Baker, Wilson, and Kvalsvig on every single public health aspect of the border. They are the experts. Be nice if they'd return the favour to legal scholars.

(this isn't a cut & dried situation, more restrictions might be justified, but it absolutely isn't a slam dunk)

Part of of the reason the response has been so successful is that civil rights and liberties haven't been handwaved away this casually, preserving public buy in. Remember bloomfield wanted an absolutely closed border even to citizens in March. Not doing that was the right call.

The two paragraphs given to the legal situation in this piece wildly inadequate. Kris Gledhill is much better here, and is actually an expert, tho I think it's still a little light in its analysis of the competing interests of overseas citizens at the end https://theconversation.com/if-border-restrictions-increase-to-combat-new-covid-19-strains-what-rights-do-returning-new-zealanders-have-153962

What you should take from Gledhill's analysis, whether you agree or not, is that the balancing of interests and rights required is a complex one with many factually dependent moving parts, and each change to border arrangements will change the balance, requiring more assessment.

And that analysis needs to be public and able to be disputed. That's the essence of citizenship: the right to be part of of the polity which is owed justification & to dispute it (in court or otherwise). Legitimate governments don't just project power onto their people.

I'll note I pointed out the danger of this sort of public health only reasoning just this morning and lo it is printed the same day. Sigh. https://twitter.com/Publicwrongs/status/1354879543295676416?s=19

The comfort is, as I say in that quoted tweet, Hipkins is clearly well aware of his obligation to overseas citizens. Just wish people would stop trying to convince him and us not to give a shit about them.

Finally, for clarity's sake, we owe a hugely debt to Wilson, Baker et al for the huge contribution they've made to keeping us safe. & there's nothing wrong with a sole public health focus from public health folks. But the legal situation isn't as clear as they say. It's just not.