Tony Newbury, Chief Commissioner of the NSW Office of State Revenue (OSR) responded to an email from me about yesterday’s post with news that he’s retiring in July.
As ‘chief antagonist’ of Land Tax Forum, I have often taken aim at the OSR since it is primarily its role to collect State taxes, so I was anxious to wish Mr Newbury well.
The position of Chief Commissioner of OSR requires considerable expertise and character and Mr Newbury has always been accessible, helpful and, on occasions where some assessments caused compliance difficulties, offered options to resolve.
The role of the critic is an easy one, even unfair in many respects, compared with the restrictions placed on government administration to respond, and I sincerely hoped my representations were never considered personnel.
Mr Newbury responded as graciously as ever.
Dear Mike,
No, I never took anything you said personally. As I said, I admire your passion and unstinting advocacy for your beliefs. If only more people had the courage and commitment to stand up for the things they believe in. I also enjoyed the humour you often attached to your commentary.
Thank you very much for the kind words. It’s been, on the whole, a very enjoyable job but now it’s time to see what the rest of my life has in store for me.
Best regards and good luck
Tony
My best regards Tony, I wish you well, and I hope your retirement does not mean your loss to public administration.