13 January 2005

Visit of Canadian Minister of National Revenue to New Zealand

Wellington, 13 January 2005: Canada’s Minister of National Revenue, The Honourable John McCallum, will visit New Zealand January 16 to 19 at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, The Honourable Dr. Michael Cullen, to discuss expenditure management and other financially related topics.

In December 2003, the Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin announced the establishment of the Expenditure Review Committee (ERC) as part of a series of initiatives designed to strengthen the government’s financial management and accountability. The ERC is chaired by Minister McCallum.

Minister McCallum said that Canadians and New Zealanders have much in common in their governmental and financial systems. “There is much that we can learn from one another and I am looking forward to the opportunity to review the New Zealand Government’s approach to budget development and expenditure management with Minister Cullen”, he said.

As part of his portfolio, Minister McCallum is responsible for Canada Post Corporation. While in Wellington, Minister McCallum will also meet the Honourable Minister Paul Swain, Minister responsible for State Owned Enterprises, and John Allen, the CEO of New Zealand Post.

A native of Montreal and educated at Cambridge University, the University of Paris and McGill University, Minister McCallum assumed his current portfolio on 20 July 2004. Before his appointment to Cabinet, he was Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance.

Prior to his election to the Canadian Parliament in 2000, Minister McCallum was Senior Vice President and Chief Economist of the Royal Bank of Canada.

ENDS

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