9 Sep 2014

Banning land sales 'unfair' on farmers

8:38 pm on 9 September 2014

ACT Party leader Jamie Whyte says proposals of left-wing parties to ban foreign owners from buying land is outrageous and incredibly unfair on farmers.

ACT leader Jamie Whyte.

ACT leader Jamie Whyte. Photo: RNZ / Demelza Leslie

The Labour, Green, New Zealand First and Conservative parties are all proposing to restrict the sale of land to foreigners if elected on 20 September.

Dr Whyte told Radio New Zealand's Nine to Noon programme today that would be an ugly social policy that would stop farmers selling their farms to the highest bidder.

"If people in New Zealand want New Zealanders to own farms, if they want to effectively subsidise New Zealanders into farms it's not fair that the current owner of the farm has to bear the whole cost of that.

"They should tax the entire population, provide a subsidy for New Zealanders to buy farms," he said.

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