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Thank you for inviting me here today. I’m especially pleased that you’ve asked me to talk about the challenges for the NZ tax system and creating certainty.

These are very topical issues and two things I am deeply interested in.

Taxation is a necessary part of society as long as government is required to provide services such as health, education, police, social welfare and rebuilding Christchurch.

Yet today, it seems to me that our tax system and in fact tax systems around the world, are at a cross roads.

Thank you for inviting me to be with you today.

Firstly, I’d like to welcome Professor Chris Evans, Professor of Taxation at the Australian School of Business, James Alm, Chair of the Department of Economics at Tulane University and Michael Keen, Deputy Director at the Fiscal Affairs Department, at the IMF.

The strength of the New Zealand tax system is its highly cooperative nature so it’s great to have such world leading speakers here with us. I'm sure tax policy and IRD's Business Transformation programme can only benefit from your expertise.

Thank you for inviting me to speak to you today.

Firstly I just want to acknowledge TIA Chairman Grant Lilly, Terry Ngan and Stephen Hamilton from Horwath HTL, and Garth Simmons from Accor.

I was pleased to accept the role as Associate Minister of Tourism when the Prime Minister gave it to me earlier this year. As MP for Rotorua, I have long been aware of the major role that tourism plays in the New Zealand economy. It is this Government’s ambition that tourism can make an even stronger contribution to New Zealand’s economic performance.

Fellow Governors, Mr President, ladies and gentlemen,

New Zealand extends its thanks to the Government of Kazakhstan, and to the staff of the Asian Development Bank, for their efforts organising this 47th Annual Meeting of the ADB.

We congratulate Takehiko Nakao on completing his first year as President of the ADB. We look forward to your continued leadership.

Thank you for inviting me to be here today — the most prestigious tax policy conference in New Zealand.

This is my first time addressing you and I imagine I am but the latest in a long line of Revenue Ministers you’ve seen. I’m told that IFA was founded in 1938. It was a very different world then. 

For instance, today we all use terms like ‘apps’, ‘software’, ‘googling’ and ‘Facebook’, which I am not planning to close down by the way.

Thank you for inviting me to be with you today.

It is less than a year since I took over the Revenue portfolio and it is the first time I have had the pleasure of addressing your conference.

Since becoming Revenue Minister, one thing I have learned very quickly is that a tax system that comprises good tax policy supported by good administration is an essential part of a competitive and growing economy.

It is this Government’s strong economic record that I want to touch on first.

Economy

Thank you, David, for your welcome. I am delighted to join you today to mark the inaugural trans-Tasman flight of Jetstar’s flagship 787 Dreamliner.

As the Associate Minister of Tourism, I am heartened by the confidence that Jetstar is demonstrating in the New Zealand market, by choosing to invest in the Dreamliner and fly it to New Zealand.

Jetstar’s innovative approach

Thank you Mai Chen for the introduction and thank you also to the New Zealand Asian Leaders organisation for inviting me here to speak at the inaugural Asian Leaders Forum.

While I have only recently been appointed in the role of Associate Minister of Tourism, I have been the MP for Rotorua since 2008 so I am well aware of the value of tourism and the increasing opportunities that Asia presents. I would like to talk briefly about these today. 

Thank you for inviting me here today to talk about base erosion and profit shifting (or “BEPS” as it’s known as).

BEPS is a matter of growing importance and an issue of real concern to both the OECD and the G20. But there is nothing new in ensuring that international tax rules are robust – it’s been an important part of our international tax reforms in recent years. For that I am immensely grateful and greatly comforted as it means that our tax rules are in a strong position to face this issue.

Ladies and gentlemen

This is my first NZICA tax conference since becoming Minister about 5 months ago and I am grateful for the invitation to be here with you today.

I would like to use my address to set-out the Government’s tax policy work programme for the next 18 months and in particular highlight a number of issues that the government believes are important to New Zealand, New Zealand business and to our tax system.

Today marks the 5th anniversary of the John Key Government being elected having received support from more than 1,000,000 New Zealanders.

Thank you for inviting me to speak at Medicines New Zealand’s “Medicines Transform Lives” Conference.  I would especially like to thank and acknowledge the Hon Heather Roy, the Chair, Kevin Sheehy, the General Manager, and the directors and members of Medicines New Zealand.

Thank you for your welcome and thank you inviting me to speak to you.

Since your last conference much has changed. Most obviously is the fact that you have a new keynote speaker. I hope I can live up to the high standards set by my esteemed colleague and predecessor, the very able Mr Dunne.

Introduction

Remember, if you can, our world in 1995.

Jim Bolger was Prime Minister and Don McKinnon the deputy.

We mourned the loss of Bruno Lawrence, John Britten and former Prime Minister Bill Rowling.

An Ansett plane crashed at Palmerston North, claiming the lives of four people.

The Auckland Warriors entered Australia’s Rugby League competition for the first time.

And the Springboks defeated the All Blacks in the Rugby World Cup final in Johannesburg.

Annual Conference

I’m pleased to be here with you today.

I would like to thank James Austin, CEO of the Fundraising Institute of New Zealand for inviting me to your conference. James tells me that this is an educational conference aiming to impart many of the fundamental pieces of information any charitable organisation will need to succeed. I’m glad to hear it.

I’d like to thank you for inviting me to join you today.

As the Member for Rotorua and the Minister of Revenue, it is especially appropriate that my first speech to a conference in my new portfolio is to you today.

While the portfolio is new to me, I am no stranger to the world of tax, having served on Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure committee (known in Wellington as the FEC).