Quote Originally Posted by SBQ View Post
It's a poor excuse. Not trying to be anti-CGT. It's just that the world has become a small place and if NZ sends the wrong message, the general population as a whole will suffer.
I don't disagree with all that you say, a lower dollar increases competitiveness and as you point out NZ is more dependent on international trade. A lower dollar is a drop in your standard of living and an increase in the price of imports. I have read economic textbooks that say this. How big a drop might be hard to measure.
I don't think NZ is a major player globally in anything (other than maybe rugby and sailing).

I just don't buy the argument that a CGT will cause capital flight and cause the ruination of our society. If the well-off are threatening the rest of society because their wealth is so great they can destroy a country pandering to them and letting them become even more powerful won't make society any better.

Did you read the example of the wellington electricity lines company above? Do you believe Asian investment in Auckland's housing market has been beneficial to anyone other than those selling up? How much went into new houses compared to existing. I don't know myself but don't see foreign investment as the be all and end all. I may be proven wrong but you will probably be gone long before you get a chance to say I told you so.