A suggestion by that owners of holiday cabins could be given two votes – one for each constituency in which they own property – has been decried by the opposition as “from the 19th century”. The Progress Party (FrP), a right-wing partner in the coalition government, last week suggested that an extra vote could be given to citizens who pay real estate tax on properties in separate parts of the country. Helge André Njåstad, financial spokesperson with the Progress Party, said last week the measure would give property tax contributors fair influence in the areas in which they contribute to municipal coffers. The party actually wants to reduce real estate tax overall, Njåstad also said.
“Our primary viewpoint is that we’d like to scrap property tax, for both houses and holiday cabins. But property tax in relation to cabins is particularly bad. Those paying property tax on cabins have no influence on politics in those municipalities,” he told newspaper VG.
Government support for reduction of maximum property tax rates from seven to five percent was secured by the Progress Party during negotiations in January, when the coalition government with the Conservative and Liberal parties was formed.
Full Article: Norwegian opposition hits out at ’19th century’ double vote idea – The Local.
