Adam Smith Institute

The Daily Telegraph has reported a story about a Welsh couple prevented from moving to New Zealand because each was considered vastly overweight and therefore a likely strain on health services. Mr Trezise had secured a highly skilled job for Telecom, but had to go on a crash diet in order to enter the country. His wife, unable to lose the extra pounds, has still not joined him.

Now, arguments have arisen that this is discrimination and stigmatization, but aren't these the kind of problems a nation faces when the government decides to provide health care? Private health companies won’t allow you to buy a policy with a serious pre-existing health problem, and when services like health become nationalized it makes sense that unhealthy people would then be banned from the nation providing the service.

Once the government becomes the health insurer, translating health policy into immigration policy isn’t that drastic of a step, neither is drinking policy or smoking policy – both of which we've seen in the UK. Once the government gains one power, it can expand its purview into all manner of life activities, all justified under keeping you healthy and safe. Start to scale back those powers (less socialized healthcare, for example) and the state has fewer justifications for control. Funny how that works.

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed