It should be a privilege to own a farm in this country. The Government tossed that line in to soften us up on what they are really doing, which is trying to get rid of offshore buyers. Yes, you can still apply, but the rules fundamentally change.

This is a good Labour-NZ First policy; it's what they promised, and it's what they believe. There is unquestionably an undercurrent of resentment towards normally wealthy foreigners who come here and buy up vast tracks of land with an ensuing backlash for those who think it's been stolen from us. Forgetting, of course, the point that most of these people aren't robber-barons.