National promises on property rights - ACT delivers

Rodney Hide
Wednesday, 8 June 2005
Press Releases - Rural

ACT Leader Rodney Hide today said Don Brash’s promise to rural New Zealand to “prevent any erosion of private property rights” rang hollow.

Don Brash says in his flier delivered to rural New Zealand that “Any move to give wider public access over private property is an infringement of property rights. Labour is trying to downplay the issue before the election but National knows how important it is.”

“ACT agrees with Don Brash. That’s why ACT last year voted against National MP Nick Smith’s Overseas Investment (Queen’s Chain Extension) Amendment Bill that is itself a land grab. The bill sets up a process by which the Overseas Investment Commission can require land to be set aside as an esplanade reserve. The purpose of Dr Smith’s land grab is to require ‘consideration to be given to issues of public access’.

“That’s exactly the sort of land grab that Don Brash is warning farmers against. And yet one of his own MPs is sponsoring a bill to do just that. What’s worse, National along with Don Brash voted for it. National voted with Labour and the Greens for the very land grab that he now opposes.

“That’s why the Party Vote to ACT is so important. ACT has always stood up for private property rights. ACT’s Gerry Eckhoff has been campaigning tirelessly for farmers’ property rights for six years. Standing up for private property rights for ACT is a matter of principle. It’s not something that ACT does just because it’s election year.

“New Zealanders will need to vote ACT to ensure that their private property is safe. After all, it was National that passed the Resource Management Act,” Mr Hide said.

ENDS

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