3 bodies   responsible   for   implementing   any   changes   recommended   by   the Commission.  No organisation that spends tax payers’ money can engage in the design  of  utopian  schemes  that  have  no  prospect  of  being  adopted.    The  first purpose of the Law Commission is to suggest changes to the statute book for the betterment of all New Zealanders.    5 But remember statutes are often not required and should be avoided if possible.   Legislation is not the answer to every problem.  A fundamental threshold question that  needs  to  be  asked  is  whether  legislation  is  required  at  all.    Too  often  the question  is  not  asked.    More  imagination  is  required  to  avoid  cluttering  up  the statute book with unnecessary laws.    6 Law  reform  has  to  be  a  collaborative  enterprise.    Otherwise  it  will  fail.    There must   be   close   collaboration   throughout   between   the   Law   Commission,   the Government   and   the   Government’s   advisers.      The   independence   of   the Commission  cannot  become  a  recipe  for  isolation  or  non-engagement  with relevant  departments  of  state  and  officials.    One  aim  I  have  in  taking  up  the position  of  President  is  to  ensure  that  co-operation  becomes  closer  and  the requisite relationships are developed. History 7 New Zealand’s law reform agency was created relatively late compared to the rest of  the  common  law  world.    England  and  Scotland  received  permanent  Law Commissions  by  legislation  in  1965.    The  Commonwealth  of  Australia  passed legislation for the Australian Law Reform Commission in 1973 and it commenced operations on 1 January 1975.  New South Wales set up its agency even earlier, in 1967.    Canada  has  had  the  interesting  experience  of  setting  up  a  Federal  Law Reform Agency, then in 1992 abolishing it, only to set up another in 1997.  The State of Victoria did something similar to Canada.