Labour's flagship capital gains tax election policy came under scrutiny at a candidates' meeting, where none of the Kaikoura electorate candidates seemed to have a good handle on the issue.
The Marlborough branches of Federated Farmers and Rural Women NZ hosted the meeting at the Giesen Centre in Renwick on Wednesday and drew an audience of about 25.
National's Colin King, Labour's Liz Collyns, Greens' Stefan Browning, ACT's Richard Evans and Democrats for Social Credit's John McCaskey gave prepared speeches before the floor was open for questions – and some ribbing.
Marlborough District Councillor and former Federated Farmers Marlborough branch president Geoff Evans asked whether family farms were excluded from the tax.
Mrs Collyns was unsure of the specifics of her party's policy but said it was "not designed to catch ordinary people with homes and baches" but was rather to tax those who made money on selling properties.
Mr Browning said the family home "should be sacrosanct" but he believed a capital gains tax had merit because it was a fair tax system. Labour took the policy from the Green Party, he said.
Incumbent MP Mr King said he believed the opposition did intend the capital gains tax to cover family farms.
The candidates said they would school up on the subject before the next candidates' forum.
Richard Evans said the tax would take away the incentive to grow a business and create jobs.
Labour finance spokesman David Cunliffe told the Express yesterday the farmhouse and family paddock, such as gardens, would be exempt, but the business aspect of the farm would be taxed.
The fine details of the policy would be worked out by an expert tax panel in consultation with industry and farm groups.
Labour supporter Adrian Landon-Lane called both Richard Evans and Colin King liars when they said 10 per cent of the country pays 70 per cent of the tax.
Mr Landon-Lane responded in a loud voice that the top one per cent don't pay taxes.
Mr Evans yesterday emailed the Express with a table produced by National finance minister Bill English in July this year to prove he was right.
It showed households that earn more than $150,000 a year, which is 9.7 per cent of all households, pay 70.7 per cent of all taxes.
Other issues raised at the meeting included mining, asset sales, organics and corporate greed.
Most candidates said they would encourage the use of organics; Mr McCaskey said the market would decide if it was worth using organic practices, and Mr Browning said National had cut funding to a national organics body.
A member of the audience, Ngaire Searle, expressed concern about fracking near Christchurch, saying the technique of extracting gas from underground had been linked to seismic activity.
Most candidates said they were just learning about what fracking was, but would base their policy on scientific evidence.
Mr Browning said he wanted a moratorium on the practice; Mr King said he would not support a moratorium.
Another member of the audience asked Mr Brown how he envisioned growing employment if he wanted to stop salmon farming and forestry. Mr Browning said salmon farming was "anathema" to sustainability, but he was not advocating stopping forestry.
He wanted more environmentally friendly forestry practices to ensure run-off did not damage the Marlborough Sounds.
The Marlborough Express is hosting a meet the candidates forum at 7pm on Wednesday November 23 at the Elim Church Hall on Burleigh Rd, Blenheim. All are welcome.
- The Marlborough Express
SIMON WONG
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