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Misplaced trust

By Roach, Peter M
Publication: Charter
Date: Thursday, June 1 2000
HEADNOTE

WHEN IT COMES TO RULINGS, SAYS PETER M. ROACH, THE TAX OFFICE IS APPLYING SOMETHING OF A DOUBLE STANDARD TO TAXPAYERS.

Although by its terms a broad-based inquiry into the operations of the ATO, the Senate

Economics References Committee substantially confined its recent inquiry to investigating complaints generated by a television program which had made extremely serious allegations against the ATO: allegations which found little support in evidence before the Committee.

As recorded in a footnote, one allegation was that "literally hundreds of former and serving Tax Office staff helped ... to investigate what they see as a crisis inside the administration". The Committee's report records that "If this claim had any veracity, it seems surprising that so few of these people were prepared to contribute to the inquiry."And, I add, even on the basis of their anonymity being preserved and their evidence being taken in camera.

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