Ross Jami-Lee: Taxation (Residential Land Withholding Tax GST on Online Services and Student Loans) Bill — First ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeRoss Jami-Lee: Taxation (Residential Land Withholding Tax GST on Online Services and Student Loans) Bill — First Reading[Sitting date: 08 December 2015. Volume:710;Page:8647. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]JAMI-LEE ROSS (National—Botany): I always enjoy listening to the Hon Clayton Cosgrove. He is one of the more entertaining members of the Finance and Expenditure Committee after Mr Peters of course. After the recent reshuffle I was a bit concerned that we would be losing him but the gods have shined upon us and he is still on the committee. We are currently considering actually the highlight of his legislative career: the Keep Kiwibank Bill.Hon Clayton Cosgrove: Not mine any more—not mine any more.JAMI-LEE ROSS: Not his—he has ditched it already. He has ditched it already. OK the first reading of the Keep Kiwibank Bill was the highlight of his legislative career. He has now given up on it. But a much better bill that the committee will be considering is this taxation bill. I think actually it could be called the “Taxation (Increasing Compliance) Bill” because the three main matters that are considered in this bill are about increasing compliance with tax obligations. The change to the residential withholding tax is I think going to be good and going to add to the additional tools we have already brought in through recent bills like the requirement for an IRD number to be provided during property transactions and the brightline test that has recently come in. This will complement those two bills.I have to say to the Labour members opposite who are pooh-poohing this idea and as they usually do on these types of issues whinging and moaning about the changes we have made that if they want to come to Auckland and talk to some of the lawyers and talk to some of the real estate agents who deal with this every day they will be told that already the changes the Government has made are having an impact. They are slowing things down. This is on top of the fact we are building a whole lot more houses and we are seeing more houses being consented at an unprecedented rate. These are all starting to have an impact.This bill will also bring about an additional measure that will help in a big way. I do not want to speak for very long. I want to save the Labour members opposite who are probably a bit concerned about what we are saying and all the good things that are happening through this bill. The fact of the matter around GST is that we are able to bring the changes to GST with online services relatively easily through this bill but I want to allay their fears. There is a consultation document that the Minister of Customs is working on that is going to be going out next year. That will be the opportunity for New Zealanders to be consulted on the potential GST options with actual goods coming across the border. I think that will be a golden opportunity for New Zealanders to contribute their views on what could change.With regard to student loans this is a very simple change through this bill that will lead to greater compliance from those who are living in Australia. The greater information that we are going to be sharing between our two countries will lead to greater compliance with student loan repayments and that is a good thing for the country. I commend the bill to the House.