The likely electoral impact of Labour’s official capital gains tax policy will be now taking the attention of all political observers and pundits. First out of the blocks seems to be Stuff’s Andrea Vance, who says that the tax policy is ‘politically audacious’ but ‘it's a stretch to imagine it changing the outcome of the election’ – see: Labour seizes the moment. She emphasizes that the now-announced CGT is far from being a ‘comprehensive’ CGT, due to the surprising number of exemptions in the policy. Rightwing blogger David Farrar simply says that such a policy would lead to accountants ‘celebrating the extra work’ based on the loopholes created by the exemptions – see: Labour’s package. John Hartevelt reports on the number crunching that has been done to show the huge revenue that is eventually expected from the policy – see: Capital gains tax could net $3.9 billion. No doubt, much of the debate will now focus on the validity of these figures, because Labour’s electoral strategy is clearly based around the narrative that it can pay off government debt just as quickly and effectively as National, but can do so without the need to sell off assets. National’s job will be to show that Labour’s CGT will be somewhat less effective than what is necessary. But in reality, much of this debate will be buried in technocratic details that simply turn voters off. [Continue reading below for a full list of the highlights of NZ Politics Daily]
Labour’s capital gains tax announcement
Adam Bennett (NZH): Labour unveils ‘bold’ tax plan
Lloyd Burr (TV3): Labour releases tax policy: capital gains, tax-free produce
Vernon Small (Stuff): Labour confirms capital gains tax, new rate
TVNZ: Labour to target high earners in election fight
John Hartevelt (Stuff): Capital gains tax could net $3.9 billion
Andrea Vance (Stuff): Labour seizes the moment
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Labour’s package
Danya Levy and Vernon Small (Stuff): Capital gains tax good tool: Treasury head
TVNZ: Tax expert backs Labour’s expected policy
Brian Fallow (NZH): The case for a tax revolution
Vernon Small (Dom Post): Baches won’t escape Labour’s tax
NZH: Labour hoping exemptions will make tax palatable
John Pagani (interest.co.nz): What the Labour capital gains tax announcement has to do
Catherine Harris (Stuff): Capital gains an unpopular tax
NZPA: Gains tax preferable to asset sales – poll
Felix Marwick (Newstalk ZB): Demand for more analysis over asset sales
Mike Hosking (Newtalk ZB): Editorial: Labour’s tax package
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Q+A on CGT
The Dim-Post: Getting it right
The Dim-Post: My reservation
Hone Harawira’s return to Parliament
Tracy Watkins (Stuff): Speaker refuses to swear Harawira in
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Harawira not sworn in
No Right Turn: Ejected
NZH: Harawira ‘disappointed’ after swearing-in drama
NZH: Harawira’s swearing-in halted
TV3: Hone Harawira thrown out of Parliament over oath
TV3: Hone Harawira – Moving Forward With Mana speech
RNZ: Harawira returns to Parliament
Pem Bird (Voxy): Why the ‘Deal’ with Mana was doomed from the start
Asylum seekers
Patrick Gower (TV3): NZ has nothing to fear from refugees – Clark
Danya Levy (Stuff): Unlikely refugees headed here: Clark
Retirement age
John Hartevelt and Vernon Small (Dom Post): Increase in retirement age ‘inevitable’
Paul Harper (NZH): Retirement issues ‘must be addressed’
Vernon Small: Key, Goff hide behind super smokescreens
NBR: Politicians’ head in sand over retirement age – Act
Race relations
Editorial (ODT): Lines in the sand
The Standard: Equal opportunity employer
Bryan Gould (NZH): Strength in partnership between cultures
Other
James Meager (mydeology): Thank God, the Westpac Trust Stadium is NOT FOR SALE
David Farrar (Stuff): The politics of disaster management
Dave Henderson (NZH): Status quo harms charities’ ability to serve and survive
Kirsty Johnston (Stuff): State houses rejected by thousands on waiting list
Barry Soper (Newstalk ZB): Political Report: July 14
Duncan Garner (TV3): The Week in Politics
Dom Post: Politics briefs: Thursday, July 14
