Discourages home ownership, forces people into rentals, increases business for property investors.

We need people to be able to cheaply obtain their own home where they can be free from the influence of others. Not penalise people for owning a home, encourage it. Your policy would mean average people couldn't afford their own home. But rich people, who can afford the taxes, could still have investment properties. And the average person would be forced to live in them, paying rent, and making the rich richer. It's populist but completely short-sighted, terrible economics. There's a far better solution. Housing is expensive fundamentally due to supply and demand. Supply is restricted through regulations on land, and building regulations. Remove or reduce this red tape and people will be able to build their own homes again. Housing will become cheaper, everyone will be able to afford to have a home. And NZ will become fairer again. It doesn't cost much to build a house. It only costs a lot if you have to comply with the building regulations. Simple law change - if it's single storey, wood or steel framed, with a tin roof, it's permitted and anyone can build it. They just have to get an electrician to do the electrical work. We know such buildings are earthquake safe, most people have enough brains to build one adequately well. This one minor change would solve NZ's housing problems virtually overnight, save screeds of money, and reduce property prices and rents through competition benefiting all poor people at the expense of wealthy property owners.