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Former Australian finance minister to head OECD
After an intense international political battle running over many months and a government-backed campaign, possibly costing several million dollars, former Australian Liberal finance minister Mathias Cormann last week secured the position of secretary-general of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
Mathias Cormann with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison (Wikipedia)
Cormann won his selection when he defeated the last remaining candidate for the post, former Swedish European Union trade commissioner, Cecilia Malmström, in the final ballot.
Besides the considerable effort devoted to his campaign by the Australian Liberal-National Coalition government, backed by the opposition Labor party, the main factor in Cormann’s success was the support he received from both the Biden administration in the US and the Johnson government in the UK.
In response to his recent appointment and criticism, Cormann released a statement highlighting climate change as a key challenge, promising to pursue an ambitious, global approach to help countries become carbon-neutral by 2050. He also highlighted finalising a multilateral approach to digital taxation and strengthening OECD outreach into the Asia-Pacific region as other top priorities.
“There is much work to be done, global cooperation on economic, social and environmental policies is more important than ever,” said Cormann. “I can’t wait to get stuck into it.”
Businesses welcome Australia’s international influence
A strong political career as a finance minister in Australia lends Cormann key support from large business leaders, who are expecting greater tax certainty from international cooperation after finalising a multilateral approach to digital taxation. They are also expecting market-based policies and a rules-based international order that promotes a post-pand