Friday 13 October 2006

It's a pleasure to support property rights

While a different kind of political activity was going on up the road yesterday, I'm happy to say that my submission on Gordon Copeland's bill to incorporate property rights in NZ's Bill of Rights was presented to the Select Committee considering the Bill. As I said when Copeland's Private Members Bill was first announced:
"When property rights are under attack both here in New Zealand and around the world, it's a pleasure for once to support a move in a direction that protects property rights."

"I've long argued that the Resource Management Act is a disaster for the property rights of New Zealanders -- that the only solution is a stake through its heart. The RMA would not have been able to have property rights buried in the manner it did if property rights were included at the heart of our Bill of Rights, particularly if that Bill of Rights were to be given real teeth."

"Copeland can't do much about the latter, but he is at least trying on the former and I applaud him for that. Our submission in support of his Bill argues in part that 'As time passes, it becomes more evident that private property rights are an omission from the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act. They are among the most fundamental and most valuable rights. As Leon Trotsky long ago pointed out with glee, where there is no private ownership, individuals can be easily bent to the will of the state. It is high time that individuals were given proper legal protection against the abuses of the state. This Private Members Bill is a start."
You can read the entire submission here.

LINKS: Something being done about property rights - "Bravo, Gordon Copeland" - Peter Cresswell, Libertarianz press release
Libertarianz Submission on the New Zealand Bill of Rights (Private Property Rights) Amendment Bill - complete submission, Libertarianz

RELATED: Property Rights, Politics-NZ, Politics-United

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

More from the Mugabe Department in Wellington ...

Report Ignored, High Country In Shock

13 October 2006



High Country farmers are shocked and saddened at the government’s plan to drastically increase rents on leased High Country stations, despite the recommendations of the Armstrong report, said Donald Aubrey of Federated Farmers of New Zealand.



“This proposal will result in a much stress and uncertainty for High Country families with pastoral leases,” said Mr Aubrey. “These families have developed and improved their pastoral leases over many decades, in some cases generations, and now face the prospect of being penalised for all that hard work. They will be gutted.”



His comments follow the release of the Armstrong report and other papers related to a review of pastoral lease rents. The government has ignored the main recommendation of the Armstrong report and said it will consider changing High Country rents to include so-called amenity values, such as views and landscapes.



“The government would be putting us into an impossible position. High Country farmers face the prospect of paying rent for a value which they are excluded from using under the terms of their pastoral lease. This is clearly unfair.



“Pastoral leases were established in 1948 to create an incentive for lessees to manage the land. They were a rescue package for what was considered wasteland. Because of their skilful stewardship, water, soils, amenity values and biodiversity have been protected and improved. Now that has happened, the farmers are being penalised for their investment.”



Mr Aubrey said that High Country families were stoic and adaptable and would pursue the recommendations of the Armstrong report, which said there was “no basis for the claim that existing or proposed rentals are being set at a discount to the market”.



Federated Farmers will be making very strong submissions on the government’s proposals.



Mr Aubrey is the chair of the South Island High Country industry group of Federated Farmers of New Zealand.





Donald Aubrey 027 623 7157; 03 696 3747

Captain Calculus said...

Why isn't there a Gman watch, damn it I'm worth watching!!!