Political parties in opposition need to consolidate their voting base then broaden their appeal.
Labour’s policy announcements so far will probably work for its core constituency but they’re not likely to help it appeal to to many floating voters.
Its latest, which was leaked rather than announced, is for a capital gains tax . That will gladden the hearts of its die-hard supporters and might staunch the bleeding of some votes to the Greens, Mana and New Zealand First.
But it’s not likely to appeal to floating voters towards the centre and further right if they have any aspiration or understand the implications.
Simple taxes are better taxes.
Labour’s planned CGT appears to be complex with exemptions which opens the way for avoidance and could take 15 years to take affect.
That looks more like the policy of a party appealing to its own and destined for at least another term in opposition rather than a government in waiting attempting to broaden its appeal.
Homepaddock 
Labour have taken pole position now Ele.
Bill English’s frothing puppet-dance in the House was both hilarious and telling. I didn’t see Key’s over-done response but heard it was similarly desperate.
Whappo! There’s one to the Tory solar-plexus!
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You will by now have read Cactus Kate’s opinion on this Ele.
Now she’s talking!
🙂
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Have a look at the NZ Herald RG – National able to govern on their own with a 7 seat majority.
Indicates Labour in the low 20’s and Greens sent into oblivion.
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95% of new zealanders own one or less homes.
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Yes, Ele, thats the first thing I thought. Goff is moving to shore up his lower decile voters. But he may be throwing significant numbers of his middle and high earner supporters under the bus.. of the 200,000 who own a second house I should think there are many thousands who are Labour voters and of the over 800,000 owner occupiers in the country, a hell of a lot would be Labour supporters who at least aspire to own a second home.
JC
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while im not really against having a cgt .looking forward to seeing the detail its certainly wouldnt be a vote changer to me
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Actually Ele you just nailed it, I see myself as centre left but very much on the right of that designation, I have at a constituency level always voted Labour in St Kilda, Dn. North, Dn South, Eden ( not sure if that was electorate name might have been Auckland central ) and Roskill.
While I have no idea what the policy will be next week my gut feeling is no. I have renovated several places in my time but didn’t have the capital to buy them so I got Dad to buy them I did them up and then they were sold. I lived in the houses and was at varsity and also working 2 part time jobs or working a full time job ( after left varsity ). Yes I made enough to get a deposit on a house and yes I have been lucky in Auckland with the property market. A house I have also renovated and added a new bedroom.
Should I have payed tax ? well the other option was going on the dole and asking for arts grants. National will win the next election not because they are a party of ideas but because the left have failed to even interest the middle ( swing vote ),
My Dad made no money on these deals and New Zealand was paid tax but the Labour are targeting us.
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