ACT right to rein in judges and protect taxpayers’ property

The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming ACT’s plan to put property rights into the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act, saying taxpayers need stronger protection from governments that treat private property as theirs to tax, regulate, or confiscate at will.

Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director Jordan Williams said:

“Property rights are the foundation of a prosperous society. If you work for it, save for it, build it, or buy it, politicians should face a bloody high bar before taking it off you.

“For too long, New Zealand has treated property rights as the poor cousin of our other fundamental rights. ACT deserves credit for putting them squarely on the political agenda.

“But the most important part of this policy is bigger than property rights. It is about who calls the shots in a democracy.

“Unelected judges shouldn't make laws Parliament never passed, and unelected officials shouldn't get a blank cheque to invent policy because politicians were too gutless to spell out what they meant.

“ACT's proposal to force governments to say precisely what Treaty clauses mean – including who they apply to, what obligations they impose, and what they cost – is basic democratic accountability.

“The Taxpayers’ Union exists to fight for Lower Taxes, Less Waste, and More Accountability. You cannot have any of those things without clear laws, secure property rights, and politicians who are accountable for the rules they impose.

“Taxpayers should know where they stand. Parliament should make the law. Judges should interpret it. And politicians should have to front up when they want to take your money or interfere with your property.

“That isn't radical. It's the price of admission to a free and prosperous country."