Economic Development excluded two members from GST letter

Wednesday 23 February 2022

Two members of the Committee for Economic Development were left disappointed when they were excluded from an open letter about goods and services tax (GST) which purported to come from the Committee.

The Committee's Vice President, Deputy Steve Falla, and Committee member Deputy Sasha Kazantseva-Miller told Express they were not consulted about the letter or invited to discuss it before it was released publicly by their colleagues - Committee President Deputy Neil Inder and members Deputies Simon Vermeulen and Nick Moakes.

Deputy Falla said the wording of the letter made it appear to be from the Committee. 

“The letter starts ‘as three members of the Committee for Economic Development’, which heavily implies that the remaining [two] of us on the Committee do not share the same view," said Deputy Falla.

"They [Deputies Inder, Moakes and Vermeulen] did not ask us our views, so they wouldn’t know if we are in agreement or not.

"The appropriate thing would have been for Deputy Kazantseva-Miller and me to have been consulted and asked our views. 

"I have not made any public comment on my opinion regarding GST and, at this stage, my opinion is not fully formed. That is not to say that, having now read the letter, I wouldn’t have been persuaded to sign it.”

Pictured: Deputy Mark Helyar, treasury lead for the Policy & Resources Committee, is leading the latest tax proposals, including for the introduction of GST, which is set to be debated by the States again this summer.

Deputy Kazantseva-Miller was not told about the letter until it was published yesterday.

“I think it was the wrong approach and it was disappointing that I hadn’t been consulted or asked if I would like to co-sign it,” she said.

“This letter was not from the Committee, nor was the Committee consulted on it.”

In the letter, Deputies Inder, Vermeulen and Moakes expressed opposition to the introduction of GST at the present time.

They said they favoured “a year’s delay on the tax decision”. They also criticised GST because it “tends to hit the poorest households hardest".

Express approached Deputies Inder, Vermeulen and Moakes. Deputies Inder and Vermeulen said they did not wish to comment. Deputy Moakes did not respond in time for publication.