Monday 29 March 2010

I'm with Matt on this one ... 2

At the TVHE blog Matt Nolan writes with reference to "foreign investment":
Think of it this way. There are private individuals that happen to be New Zealanders that own things. There are private individuals that happen not to be New Zealanders that would like to buy these things, and guess what – they value them more highly than the New Zealanders do. So they trade.
And what is wrong with that I would ask. Trade benefits both the buyer and the seller so why would we want to prevent people voluntarily trading? I can see no good economic reason for stopping foreign investment in New Zealand. And if there is such a reason wouldn't the same logic apply to New Zealanders investing overseas? If we want to stop people investing here do we also not have to stop New Zealanders investing overseas?

1 comment:

Richard McGrath said...

I've often found myself thinking as per the last sentence in your article, i.e. if CAFCA and others want to stop foreign investors buying here, then New Zealand investors will have to accept they won't be able to buy anything overseas.