Governments enjoying surpluses have a very strong temptation to splash money around, and while tax cuts are always appealing, cutting taxes at the top of a boom runs the real risk of creating a structural deficit when the boom subsides.
Mitt Romney speaking to a $50,000-a-plate Republican fundraiser says he doesn't have to worry about the 47 per cent of Americans who don't pay tax. He was not counting on the smart phone recording his speech and then posting it on YouTube.
One of the most important things for a country, particularly when it's seeking to attract long-term capital in big risky projects that are going to have a payback over many years if not decades, is to be seen as being a predictable environment where tax changes will be few. But if they are going to come about they'll come about in a way that you know is predictable, understandable.
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