Labour pinches more property - this time from forest owners

Rodney Hide, Leader, ACT New Zealand Monday, 18 December 2006 Press Releases - Environment & Conservation

"Labours plan to make forest owners pay $13,000 to the government for the use of their land is just another socialist attack on private property rights" said ACT Leader, Rodney Hide.

"This is just another tax; we need to be cutting taxes, not inventing new ones.

"A large percentage of New Zealand's forests are owned by Maori. Even before the land in the Crown Forest Rental Trust has been divided amongst Iwi, this government wants to tell Maori how they can use it. This policy should be seen for what it is: a second confiscation.

"The Kyoto Protocol was sold to New Zealanders on the basis that it wouldn't affect us much and we would make a few million dollars from it. Now we are facing a bill of over $600 million. Every New Zealander will have to pay, and based on today's announcement, forest owners will be the first."

ENDS

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