Where Are We Heading Here?

The Greens offer our support for a comprehensive capital gains tax, provided the family home is exempt.

"We offer this support because a capital gains tax is a progressive tax that leads to a better investment balance and broadens the tax base by nearly $4 billion.

"A land tax is not Green Party policy, but we support an open debate on how a comprehensive package, including a land tax, could help us to access the affordable housing we urgently need."

But she warned there could not be a land tax without proper consideration of Maori land issues or land that is "ecologically sensitive".



And ... About 2000 professional and amateur photographers have staged a protest in Trafalgar Square in London against stop and search powers in Section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000.

They say police are intimidating people with cameras in their tactics to target possible terrorists.

Last week, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that the entire law was illegal because it was indiscriminate, rather than properly targeted.

Now, one would assume that equity would demand in both instances that the intended rules/laws apply to all and in similar extent.

Deja Vu.

Lowering voting age to 16 rejected
A proposal by Green MP Sue Bradford to lower the voting age to 16 has received short shrift from respondents to a Herald-DigiPoll.
An overwhelming 91.3 per cent of people polled said the voting age should not be lowered from 18 to 16.
Just 6.8 per cent agreed with the franchise being extended to 16-year-olds.
The result did not surprise Ms Bradford, who said she had seen similar survey results elsewhere.
"I've always seen it as a long-term campaign. It is something amazingly radical for people but I don't think it's radical at all."

Shades of the repeal of Sec. 59. Since when did a majority public opinion have any impact on this person ... and she endeavours to denigrate the consensual, 'dismissed as self-serving simplistic nonsense,' by demeaning the majority with the notion that she is a seer.
Overall this is absurd, but past success has obviously re-energised this person's irrational strivings ... we should be afraid.