Poor wealthy New Zealanders. Things are looking bleak. When are they going to be able to holiday in Europe again?
And when they do, the Government may ask them to foot the bill for the two-week stay in hotel quarantine on their return.
Imagine being holed up in Auckland, Rotorua or Queenstown unable to see the sights? And having to pay for it. Terrible.
Then there's all the worry about what the equity markets are doing. After years of watching their investments fatten nicely, it's all looking very uncertain and scary.
Should they keep their money in tech stock or start buying gold? The stress must be unbearable.
Even that sure road to wealth generation, the property market, is looking like it could stall, or worse, go downhill.
After winning the battle against having to pay tax on capital gains, there might not be any capital gains for property-rich Kiwis.
The rich had their hopes raised for tax-free profits in perpetuity, only to be dashed by a global pandemic.
And now the Green Party wants to kick these people who've had their lives turned upside down by introducing a wealth tax.
How could the Greens, normally so nice, caring for the environment and all that, be so heartless?
Their proposed wealth tax would only target the richest 6 per cent of the population. Who would have to pay 1 per cent tax on assets over $1 million, and 2 per cent on assets over $2m.
Which would mean a couple worth $5m would have a yearly tax bill of $40,000.
The tax would even be applied to assets held by family trusts, in a stroke cancelling out the most common avenue the rich have for avoiding tax.
How can the Greens beat-up on a minority like this? This is rich-bashing. Class jealousy is behind it.
The rich have got bills to pay too, to sharebrokers, accountants and property managers. Private schools aren't cheap.
It's totally unfair. Everyone should just pay the same amount of tax.
Let the rich go about the business of getting richer. They should be able to pass on their wealth to their kids, not have it stolen by the Government. We got rid of gift duty and inheritance tax years ago. That's the way the world is now. Why change it?
New Zealand should be like America, the land of the free.
It's just as well politicians and erudite political commentators understand. They've responded in unison.
Winston Peters: "It's an envy tax."
Act Leader, David Seymour: "It's European socialism."
Winston Peters again: "It's nuts."
National's Finance spokesman, Paul Goldsmith: "The Greens want to punish them [the rich]."
Heather du Plessis-Allan: "It's nuts."
Duncan Garner: "It's nothing more than an envy tax. The Greens are jealous of the rich."
Thank goodness for these proud defenders of New Zealand's rich-listers.
No one, surely, will be able to take the Green Party's proposal seriously, let alone vote for it at election time.
Who could possibly see the merit in wealthy New Zealanders paying a little more tax to help their compatriots out in a time of crisis?
That's the path to a more equitable and harmonious society.
Who wants that?
• Northern Advocate columnist Vaughan Gunson writes about life and politics.