The Panel's view on Peter Dunne's contribution to MMP Governments

The Q and A panel discuss UnitedFuture leader Peter Dunne's contribution to MMP Governments

http://tvnz.co.nz/q-and-a-news/panel-peter-dunne-video-5428254

Keynote Address to the National Problem Gambling Provider Forum

Good morning and thank you for the invitation to speak today at your national provider forum.

 I would like to begin by acknowledging and thanking the Salvation Army’s National Co-ordination Service for organising this event.

 I would also like to acknowledge Major Campbell Roberts personally.

 I understand that he is to speak later in the programme on social justice and addictions.

 This is one of several social policy areas in which he has worked for many years, and I am sure his presentation will be a thoughtful contribution.

 It is good to be here again to open the forum.

 The theme this year is ‘Connecting, Communicating, Continuity’ – three important principles that I will address this morning.

 I will start with the third of these – continuity. 

 The fact that I am able to speak to you again as the Associate Minister of Health responsible for problem gambling issues ties in nicely with that and even if you are not grateful for that, I have to say that I am!

 There are also a number of sessions on the programme that emphasise the other two component parts of your forum’s theme – connection and communication.

 These sessions cover connection and communication both between public health work and clinical work, and between the services dealing with gambling-related harm and other health services.

 In the broader scheme of things you will notice that connection and communication – and enhancing both – is a key element underpinning so much of what the Government is trying to do today across a diverse range of portfolios.

 Because we live in straitened times and because the Government is seeking to get the best return in each dollar invested; in each project undertaken, there is a great commitment to making the links and connections, the communications between endeavours work as collaboratively as possible.

 So it is in your areas too.

 It is pleasing to see these sessions picking up on the need for an integrated approach across the health and social sectors.

 These examples of the forum’s emphasis on connection and communication, and on participants learning from each other, are examples of existing resources being harnessed to provide better services for the public.

 Learning from each other is critical if we are to live within our means while enhancing the services we provide.

 Providing better public services is one of this Government’s priorities.

 From my perspective, I would add that a key way we provide better services is by utilising effectively all of the resources available to us – across the government and non-government sectors, and making sure that, to the greatest extent we can, that the services that are provided are provided by those best equipped to provide them.

 I understand that there is also a session discussing the role of the new Health Promotion Agency.

 This Agency is another example of an integrated approach.

 The Health Promotion Agency will provide greater co-ordination and integration of health promotion programmes currently delivered by a number of agencies, including the Health Sponsorship Council and Alcohol Advisory Council.

It will draw on a wider range of relationships and expertise to lead innovative, high quality and cost-effective health promotion programmes.

 But I should leave any further discussion of the Agency to those who are speaking on this topic.

Suffice to say, its creation is just one sign of change in the wider health sector.

Another example of connecting, communicating and continuity is the current Kiwi Lives stage three awareness and education campaign “Choice not Chance”. 

 The Choice not Chance campaign was launched almost a year ago and built on the awareness achieved by stages one and two of the campaign. 

 It challenges the public to engage in conversations with regard to gambling harm and promote those affected to seek early help.

 As I noted last year, if there is one thing we can be certain of in the current economic environment, it is that change is the new constant.

 To keep up, and get ahead of the game, we must make sure we are in a position to move with the times, whatever challenges they may present.

 In other words, continuity must take the form of continuous improvement.

 This Forum, with its focus on workforce development, represents one opportunity for continuous improvement.

 For all of you working to prevent and minimise gambling-related harm, connecting and communicating also mean maintaining an active interest and involvement in the wider mental health and addictions sector.

 Again, it is about linkages.

 It is about avoiding working and existing in silos.

 Everywhere I go to talk to people in the mental health and addictions sectors the silo issue is raised with me.

 My own very clear view is that an important step along the way to improving services will be the breaking down of silos.

 Many of you will no doubt already be aware that, after consultation, the Mental Health Commission is finalising its Blueprint Two document.

 This plan builds on past achievements and will  no doubt be influential in helping guide the development and structure of mental health and addiction services for the future so that users of mental health and addiction services, their families and whānau get the services they need, when they need them and where they need them.

 

Blueprint Two is due to be released in the near future.

 

It is also worth noting that the Ministry of Health is preparing a service development plan for the mental health and addiction sector, which will articulate government policy in health funded services.

 

The service development plan will be informed by Blueprint Two.

 

The Ministry expects to consult on its draft plan later this year.

 

That will be an opportunity for you to comment on how you think services to prevent and minimise gambling-related harm should connect with the broader mental health and addiction sector.

 

It will be a chance to say how your services fit within that broader context, and how that broader context relates to your services.

 

Later this year, there will also be an opportunity for you to comment more directly on the future direction of your services, when the Ministry of Health consults on its draft preventing and minimising gambling harm service plan for 1 July 2013 to 30 June 2016.

 

Demand for services, effectiveness, efficiency and economy will be key drivers of this service plan, and of the parallel problem gambling levy process.

 

I encourage you all to make positive, pragmatic contributions in the course of that consultation process. 

 

Of course, the draft service plan sits within the context of the objectives, progress measures, and priority actions set out in the Ministry’s 2010 to 2016 strategic plan for preventing and minimising gambling harm. 

 

This six-year strategic plan is another example of continuity.

 

Last year, I spoke at some length about the value-for-money review of services to prevent and minimise gambling-related harm. 

 

Overall, the results of the review were encouraging.

 

It recognised a number of strengths and identified some areas for further development. 

 

The value-for-money review also concluded that it was premature to try to assess the overall benefits of the Ministry’s strategy.

 

The review noted that, as part of the 2010 to 2016 preventing and minimising gambling harm strategic plan, the Ministry had developed an outcomes framework for monitoring and reporting on achievement.

 

The review saw this outcomes framework as a step in the right direction.

 

Since then, a year on, KPMG has been commissioned to develop data collection processes and analysis, for monitoring and reporting against the outcome indicators in the framework.

 

A baseline report is due this December, with further reporting on progress measures planned for one-year, three-year, and six-year intervals.

 

I would like to acknowledge and thank all those in the sector who have been commenting on, and collating and feeding information into, the outcomes framework process.

 

I particularly want to acknowledge the work of your representatives on the Outcomes Framework Advisory Group.

 

The baseline report and those that follow will provide better information on which to assess and quantify the ultimate benefits of the strategy to prevent and minimise gambling harm.

 

This sector is also fortunate to have a strong research programme.

 

There are several interesting research projects under way, but I want to mention two that I think are particularly important.

 

At the end of this year, the Ministry expects to get the report on the clinical effectiveness of interventions to minimise gambling harm.

 

All of you collect vital data on the effectiveness of your services.

 

Many of your clients will also attest to substantial improvements in their lives as a result of your work.

 

The clinical trial will for the first time deliver scientifically robust and independent evidence to supplement that information.

 

The other research project I want to mention is the National Gambling Study. 

This work is the first update in more than ten years that will allow comparison with historical findings.

 

It is an important bridge between the Ministry’s current series of New Zealand Health Surveys, and the national surveys commissioned by Internal Affairs in 1991 and again in 1999.

 

It also includes a substantial component that is one of the few incidence studies anywhere in the world.

 

That will provide vital information on pathways into and out of problem gambling and help-seeking.

 

Interviewers are currently in the field conducting the survey, with the first reports due next year.

 

This year promises to be an interesting and challenging year for us all in other ways as well.

 

Earlier this month the Gambling Harm Reduction Bill – or as some of you may know it, the Te Ururoa Flavell Bill – completed its  first reading, and, with the Government’s support, has been referred to the Commerce Select Committee.

 

In addition, as you could not possibly fail to be aware, negotiations are underway for the development of a national convention centre in Auckland.

 

While no specific proposal has yet emerged it is likely that any agreement will involve a proposal for additional gambling facilities in SkyCity’s Auckland Casino. 

 

Obviously, these proposals will be of particular interest to your sector and the normal parliamentary select committee process is likely to provide opportunity for your submissions.

 

My position on this has been the subject of some speculation, so let me set it out clearly as follows.

 

I support the contention that Auckland needs a world class convention centre, if it is to live up to its ambition of becoming a world class city.

 

I was also instrumental in the development of our current framework for regulating gaming issue – the 2003 Gambling Act.

 

A consequence of that Act has been a substantial reduction in the number of pokie machines across the country.

 

I want to see that global trend continued, but I am less fixated about the geographic location of machines, so long as the overall trend continues.

 

Beyond that, at this stage I have not seen any specific proposal, so will not make a final decision until such time as such a proposal emerges, but wanted to set out the parameters within which my decision will be made.

 

It is a matter I do not intend to amplify or comment further upon until and unless a specific proposal arises.

 

Overall, your sector does great work as service providers.

 

You work hard and your staff are tremendously dedicated, and I salute you for that.

 

This forum is a wonderful opportunity for you all to connect and communicate with each other, to learn from each other, and to continue to build on your skills and competencies.

 

I strongly encourage you all to make the most of the opportunity.

 

In doing this you will be ensuring a strong, competent and resilient sector; one that is ready for the challenges and opportunities of the year ahead.

 

I thank you again for the chance to address you today, and I wish you well in your work.

Dunne: demise of NZPA, TVNZ7 sad day for New Zealand

Ohariu MP and UnitedFuture leader Peter Dunne says New Zealanders should be deeply concerned by the pending closures of both the New Zealand Press Association (NZPA) and TVNZ7.

 “Yesterday was a truly sad day for New Zealand’s media and the people they purport to serve,” Mr Dunne said.

 He said Fairfax’s coverage of NZPA’s demise was so partisan and self-justifying that it illustrated precisely why New Zealanders should be concerned at the departure of an independent news source.

 “I thought Fairfax’s attempts at spinning what is nothing more or less than a commercial decision to withdraw backing from NZPA was simply appalling.

 “It demonstrates precisely why one cannot have confidence in them as arbiters of news and how it is presented.

 “It is one thing to make the decision to pull the plug on NZPA, but it is entirely another to dress it up as a positive development for readers, and even worse, to then simply turn it into an opportunity to blatantly plug their commercial news products.

 “The bottom line is that fewer media can never be a good thing for a country, no matter what spin Fairfax executives want to put on it.

 “The reality is that NZPA operated without egos and agendas and just got on with providing the news of the day to media outlets the length and breadth of New Zealand.

 “The end of their fact-based and broad coverage of events and politics in New Zealand is a real loss, and will put New Zealanders into even greater dependence on organisations such as Fairfax,” Mr Dunne said.

 When you get a media commentator of the calibre of former New Zealand Herald editor Gavin Ellis saying that the demise of NZPA will leave a gap in New Zealand journalism, then you are far closer to the unspun truth.

Address to the Employers and Manufacturers Association annual payroll conference

Address to the Employers and Manufacturers Association annual payroll conference   Rendezvous Hotel, Auckland 9.15am, Thursday 17 March 2011

Good morning and thank you for inviting me to be here with you today.

I was pleased to see that this is now your fourteenth annual payroll conference.

Congratulations on sustaining your conference through the very significant changes to payroll processes that we have witnessed in recent times.

Many of those changes relate to the Inland Revenue Department.

Things such as the advent of Employer Monthly Schedules, ir-file, KiwiSaver, Payroll Giving and last year’s tax rate cuts have all changed the landscape for payroll practitioners over recent years.

Yet through all this, a central function remains – deductions are made and paid to Inland Revenue and salaries and wages are paid to employees.

This happens efficiently and flawlessly for the most part and this, of course, is crucial as our economy depends on that.

Some of how you do that is set to be changed.

For the better, I hasten to add.

I would like to talk to you today about changes the Government is considering which I think should smooth the process greatly for both businesses and individuals.

But our immediate concern of course is Christchurch’s recovery and I would like to first extend my sincere sympathies to all who lost family, friends and colleagues in the disastrous earthquake of February 22.

 

Quake response

The response to the earthquake has been swift and remarkably well-considered, with everyone doing their bit within their particular area.

I would like to commend the EMA for the very practical and helpful advice and efforts you are putting in to helping small businesses, in particular, get back on their feet.

People around New Zealand have been incredibly generous, offering all manner of financial and other forms of support.

Of particular relevance to you is that employees can choose to make donations to the Christchurch Earthquake Appeal through the Payroll Giving scheme. 

Payroll Giving, as you would know, allows people to donate direct from their pay to their chosen charity and receive an immediate tax credit for payroll donations. 

The latest figures show that since Payroll Giving’s introduction in January last year, $1.6 million has been donated through the scheme and a total of 650 employers have offered payroll giving to their employees.

I am pleased that a group of large organisations have joined together to form an “early adopters group” to champion payroll giving. 

The group is focussed on the question of “how to design and implement a standalone payroll giving scheme”. 

At least a couple of you will represent members of the group’s payroll systems.

If you are interested in finding out more about the early adopters group and the role that you can play, I would encourage you to contact the chair of the early adopters group, Diana Crossan, who you no doubt all know better in her role as the Retirement Commissioner.

You can contact her at:     

You can also learn more about payroll giving by visiting Inland Revenue’s website www.ird.govt.nz 

Payroll giving is a simple and easy way for people to support the Christchurch relief and recovery effort. 

Inland Revenue, too, is doing its bit by working to ensure smooth processes, appropriate tax relief and the facilitating of the raising of funds for relief and recovery.

 To date, my policy officials have been involved in working with the Ministry of Social Development on the Government assistance package that provides the earthquake support subsidy for employers and the earthquake job loss cover for employees. 

 They also worked to ensure that Inland Revenue’s powers to remit interest are appropriate. 

 This work resulted in three Orders in Council.

The Department will waive penalties and interest if returns cannot be filed or payments made because of the earthquake.

 Now my officials are focusing on a wider range of other matters.

 Taxpayers have raised a number of issues and in some areas urgent legislative changes may be necessary. 

 These issues include:

• depreciation
• statutory dates
• the treatment of donated goods
• the redundancy tax credit that expires on 1 April this year.
• the tax treatment of welfare benefits provided by employers (including ex gratia payments).

 The government is currently working its way through all these issues, and I am hopeful more definite announcements can be made in the next couple of weeks.

Meanwhile, those people expecting payments from Inland Revenue, such as Working for Families Tax Credits, will continue to receive those as usual.

As I said before, we all do what we can to help, and Inland Revenue is doing what it can to smooth processes.

Smoothing processes is something that the Government and Inland Revenue have developed a particular interest in.

 Making Tax Easier

In fact, in the middle of last year, a discussion paper called Making Tax Easier was issued and an online consultation undertaken, seeking feedback on various proposals to improve the tax system. 

A prime focus of Making Tax Easier was the intention to place more reliance on web-based tax administration.

On the whole, submitters supported the vision set out in the consultation, particularly the intention to improve interfaces and processes, but it would be fair to say that they expressed clear reservations about making electronic technology and communications mandatory.

Overall, we are committed to moving to an ‘e’ environment for tax administration over time, but we will ensure we do that in a way which builds and maintains the support of the community.

Good progress has been made on the proposals and I would like to update you on that now.

 Using accounting software for routine tax compliance

A founding principle of the Making Tax Easier discussion document was the will to make tax compliance easier and, whenever possible, cheaper for businesses.

A key innovation proposed in that consultation was the integration of tax functionality into business's accounting software. 

This would, for example, enable routine tax compliance tasks like the filing of the Employer Monthly Schedule to be handled automatically by a business's payroll software. 

Rather than businesses having to take information from their systems and put it either into a paper form or into a separate Inland Revenue system, the payroll accounting system will be able to send the information directly to Inland Revenue.

Both businesses and software developers responded to these proposals very enthusiastically. 

Since then, work has been going on at two levels. 

Inland Revenue has also been looking at its own systems, and discussing with the Government the changes it will need to make to support this new way of working. 

Inland Revenue has also been working very closely with a group of representatives of the software development industry, to work out how these ideas may work in practice.

I want to acknowledge the efforts and commitment of the software developers group and am pleased to announce that next month, Inland Revenue will be providing secure access, via third party software, to key account information.

This will allow tax agents to view their clients’ tax data from within their software.

Over time, Inland Revenue will expand the information available.

This new service will be a first step towards a full business to business system in future.

It is just one example of Inland Revenue working with the private sector to reduce compliance costs for business.

Because this is an important change which will bring significant benefit to the business sector, it is important that we get it right, and Ministers are watching developments with great interest.

Improved online services for individuals

One of the other key issues raised in the Making Tax Easier consultation was the difficulty some people face interacting with Inland Revenue. 

Think of all the things you can do today from your home computer: you can research travel destinations and hotels, book and pay for a flight, order groceries, buy and sell things on auctions sites like TradeMe and all manner of other transactions.

Until recently, one thing you have not been able to do is arrange your tax affairs. 

Much interaction with the tax system still takes place through pieces of paper being sent back and forth. 

While this works well for some, it is a failure to take advantage of internet technology.

However this is changing and I have been really encouraged by the progress Inland Revenue has made in this area.

The new Online Services facility was launched in May last year, and further refined in September. 

People who sign up for this can carry out almost all of their transactions with Inland Revenue and look at balances, check on due dates and keep their contact details up to date. 

This covers not just tax but all the other things people deal with Inland Revenue for, like Child Support, KiwiSaver, and GST. 

As employers, this should reduce the number of staff who contact you for information about their transactions with Inland Revenue.  

I am especially pleased that inroads are being made into the huge mounds of paper that Inland Revenue has in the past generated in its correspondence.

People can now choose to send and receive email on their tax affairs through a special secure environment.

This is not too dissimilar to a system that some banks operate.

Many of us choose email for all manner of correspondence.

Now you can also use it for managing your tax affairs.

I would encourage any of you who haven't used Inland Revenue's Online Services to try them out – I think you will be impressed with what you find there.

Cross-agency information sharing

This is another proposal which was raised in the Making Tax Easier consultation. 

It is a complex issue. 

On the one hand, there is clearly value for individuals in having all of the government agencies that provide services know about something which affects them and where a response from government would help. 

An example we always used to give of this was the birth of a child, but the recent tragic events in Christchurch are another example of where the ability to share information about a change in someone's circumstances would help government to provide a swift and comprehensive response. 

There are also clearly advantages to government in sharing this kind of information.

Quite simply, doing so enables it to avoid the situation we have now where several different computer systems are maintained to keep the same basic information about someone.

This information is not necessarily complex or sophisticated. It may be as simple as their address.

On the other hand – and this was something that came out of the public consultation – people are concerned about their privacy not being protected and potential misuse of information about them.

These are important concerns and they must be addressed properly at all times.

Legislation to allow greater information sharing by Inland Revenue was introduced in the Taxation (Tax Administration and Remedial Matters) Bill in November last year. 

The bill proposes greater sharing of information held by Inland Revenue with other government agencies, but subject to a range of restrictions:

• the government agency seeking the information must have the ability and authority to collect it in its own right
• the information must already be information that is collected by Inland Revenue
• information will only be shared if it is not so sensitive that it would inhibit individuals from providing accurate information in the future
• it must be either economically inefficient for the agency seeking information to collect it itself, or clear compliance benefits to individuals for the information to be shared rather than collected separately.

The bill is currently being considered by the Finance and Expenditure Select Committee and I expect that it will be enacted later this year.

Having said all this, although we have made some small steps, business transformation is no easy task. 

And transforming tax administration is even more complex.

While designing new services and communications, the integrity of the tax system must at all costs be protected.

A great deal rides on the confidence that businesses and individual taxpayers have in the security of their tax information.

That confidence underpins a system that people work with and see as fundamentally fair, which is the case here in New Zealand.

And any system that Inland Revenue adopts must be simple, attractive to taxpayers, secure and must not impose undue compliance costs.

It requires a long term programme, but the end goal is the same, that is, to make compliance faster, easier and less costly for taxpayers.

To provide innovative online services and help Inland Revenue respond more quickly to future changes while maintaining the integrity of the tax system.

Conclusion

In closing, there always seems to be something new happening in the world of payroll.

In recent times, changes have added to your payroll processes.

What I have sketched out today is a broad outline of what Government is focusing on with a view to smoothing processes when dealing with Inland Revenue.

The Government’s priorities are focused firmly on setting the New Zealand economy on its feet again and making it stronger than before.

The changes I have outlined are part of the economic strategy.

An efficient tax system does not stifle enterprise with undue compliance costs and therefore seeks to minimise its compliance burden on taxpayers and businesses.

By Government doing its bit to improve its own efficiency and remove impediments, we help lift productivity in the private sector.

Thank you and I hope you have an enjoyable conference

How you can help

Donations
Cash donations can be made via the following methods. Please note that it is not feasible for people to offer goods; it is much better to make a donation towards the relief fund.

• Red Cross: http://www.redcross.org.nz/donate
• Salvation Army: 0800 53 00 00 (Specify that your donation is for the ‘Canterbury Earthquake Appeal’) 
• Any ANZ Bank branch: Account number 01-1839-0188939-00
• Any National Bank branch: Account number 06-0869-0548507-00
• Any Westpac Bank branch: Account number 03-0207-0617331-00
• Any ASB Bank branch: Account number 12-3205-0146808-00
• Any BNZ Bank branch: Account number 02-0500-0982004-000
• Any Kiwibank branch: Account number: 38-9009-0759479-00