Prebble Richard: Taxation (Annual Rates Venture Capital and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill — In Committee 
Prebble Richard: Taxation (Annual Rates Venture Capital and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:621;Page:16585] 
Hon RICHARD PREBBLE (ACT) 
: 
 I raised with the Minister in regard to clause 113 whether the problems that we have been hearing about recently with regard to Mr Tamihere were wider than we previously thought. This clause is in regard to the employer and PAYE intermediaries failing to make tax deductions. Is this a wider problem than we had previously thought? Alternatively does this mean that the Government actually knew about the Waipareira Trust situation and was changing the law but had not got around to telling us about it? 
Brian Connell 
: Retrospective! 
Hon RICHARD PREBBLE 
: Retrospective legislation. It does seem to me that— 
Dr the Hon Lockwood Smith 
: We have seen it before. 
Hon RICHARD PREBBLE 
: We have seen it before and I want to know from the Government what it thinks about this tax situation. Indeed I have not actually heard from Dr Cullen with regard to that particular case. Is it typical? If it is not— 
Dr the Hon Lockwood Smith 
: They supported forging paintings so I guess dodging tax is part of it. 
Hon RICHARD PREBBLE 
: I think the member is being too harsh. It appears to me the Government thinks that employers should pay PAYE. Now that it understands the situation of the Waipareira Trust has it changed its mind? If Government members think that it is a serious problem how do they feel about having a member of their caucus who has not paid tax? Perhaps he has not paid it perhaps it was his employer who had not paid it. How do those members feel about people who knew that their employer had not paid? This is a question we would like to know the answer to. Here we are being asked to change the law with regard to PAYE deductions and the most famous case that we know of is the case of their colleague the honourable John Tamihere—I presume he is still honourable; maybe he is not maybe he is now Mr Tamihere; anyway all members are honourable members. 
What does the member think about that situation? Is that the sort of situation that he was concerned about? Is the John Tamihere situation common or is it uncommon? What does he think the moral position should be? How does he feel about having a caucus member who apparently is going to be a candidate for this Government in the next election who gets up in this House to say: “Even though no tax was paid I am blameless.”? Does the member accept that? Does he think that an employee who knew that no tax had been paid is blameless? Should he have advised the Inland Revenue Department? Should he have taken steps to advise it? What advice does he give to other John Tamiheres out in the community who may discover that their employers have not paid PAYE? Should they just sit back like his colleague did and hope that no one ever finds out or ought they to draw it to the attention of the authorities? 
Here we are as members of Parliament being asked at 9.25 p.m. to change the law with regard to employer or PAYE intermediaries failing to make tax deductions so presumably he thinks it is important enough to change the law. Does he think it is important enough to give us his opinion on the matter? What sort of example does he think the Labour Government is giving to employers and employees when it has in its bosom a member of Parliament who did not pay the tax knew that his employer had not paid it and every one of those members today clapped that member even though they knew he had not paid his tax. What sort of standard is this Labour Government trying to set? 
Hon Dr Michael Cullen 
: What about a false declaration on a marital settlement? 
Hon RICHARD PREBBLE 
: Oh I think that would be pretty shocking too. Is the member going to tell us what his settlement was? I have no idea. What I do know is that a false declaration on an electoral return is a shocking matter. When it is fraudulent as the one from Mr Tamihere was from a proven forger I say that it is a serious matter. It seems to me—I do not know—that birds of a feather flock together. Here is a party that clapped a member who said that there was nothing wrong with putting in a forged return.