The group Bill English has pulled together for tax ideas is the best representation that I’ve seen of the best NZ can offer in a specialist field of expertise. Not a passenger among the list announced today!
Chaired by Prof Bob Buckle, the group includes Rob Cameron, Paul Dunne, Arthur Grimes, Rob McLeod, Gareth Morgan, Mike Shaw, Geof Nightingale, Casey Plunkett, John Shewan, Mark Weldon, John Prebble and David White.
For Victoria University and David White in particular, this is a return on patient effort to make at least the tax area of the Commerce Faculty at Victoria University a forum for independent expert debate of a kind that the public service has not been permitted.
From time to time they’ll wonder ruefully how they werre flattered into giving the time this will consume, for whatever pitiful sums (if any) they’ll earn from it. I assume that Bill English must have assured them it will be worthwhile, and they’ll not suffer the fate of the Cameron Task Force on securities law – having policy infants dump their recomendations.
The announcement says the group will review issues in medium-term tax policy, rather than making specific policy recommendations. Will capital gains tax be considered under the head of "tax integrity"?
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Yes what an inspired choice for the make-up of the group. I was going to send a copy of John Prebble’s Inaugural Lecture to the members I know in the hope that this might influence the starting point but I find that Prebble is part of the group!
It would be great to get the philosophy right- the short term and longer term measures will naturally follow.
Regards
Jeremy