Jones want to rip up CER?

I thought Shane Jones was the most economically sensible Labour leadership contender but maybe not. Claire Trevett at NZ Herald reports:

If he becomes Prime Minister, one of Shane Jones’ first moves will be to deliver a one-fingered salute to Australia by extending Labour’s policy restricting overseas-based foreigners from buying property in New Zealand to include Australians.

That would be a breach of CER, and imagine if Australia responded by banning Kiwis from being able to buy property in Australia? Shows how bad economic literacy is in Labour, when even Shane Jones is coming out with such idiocy.

Labour’s policy, which is aimed at preventing foreign speculators from pushing up house prices, currently excludes Australians, partly because of the Closer Economic Relations agreement and because Canberra’s similar restriction on foreign buyers does not include New Zealanders.

We want fewer barriers between Australia and NZ, not more.

Mr Robertson said National’s changes to the law were particularly hard on vulnerable people, such as those in the cleaning and catering areas, and he would repeal them swiftly. He said that in his first months in office, he would also bring together a “summit” of business, community, Maori and other leaders to work on a manifesto. His government would agree to be held accountable for the results of that summit.

Is Grant saying he would implement what ever comes out of that summit? I thought Labour were against out-sourcing, but now they want to outsource their manifesto!