❓ Premier Barnett addresses concerns about WA's declining share of GST revenue, criticising the Commonwealth Grants Commission process as inequitable and unsustainable, and advocating for a complete review to ensure WA can contribute to the national economy.
AnsweredQoN 201Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
GOODS AND SERVICES TAX — WESTERN AUSTRALIA’S SHARE
Since last year I note that both the Premier and the Treasurer have raised publicly the issue of Western Australia’s declining share of goods and services tax revenue, including in several articles in The West Australian and The Australian . Will the Premier outline what the likely scenario is for Western Australia in relation to GST, and the likely effect this will have on the state’s development? Mr C.J. BARNETT
Since last year I note that both the Premier and the Treasurer have raised publicly the issue of Western Australia’s declining share of goods and services tax revenue, including in several articles in The West Australian and The Australian . Will the Premier outline what the likely scenario is for Western Australia in relation to GST, and the likely effect this will have on the state’s development? Mr C.J. BARNETT
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Carine for the question. He brings to Parliament a high level of economic and financial ability and will no doubt contribute to financial matters during his political career. Yesterday the Treasurer and I, and, indeed, the Leader of the Opposition, commented on the prospect of a sharp decline in this state’s share of goods and services tax revenues. I do not think that at the time the GST agreements were signed anyone anticipated the scenario that looks like playing out. Mr E.S. Ripper : You were a member of that committee. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I will answer the question. I am just 30 seconds into my answer. Give me a couple of minutes, and then the Leader of the Opposition can interject. I do not think that anyone would have anticipated such disparate growth rates and the way in which the Commonwealth Grants Commission takes into account various factors. It is like a big black box; no-one really understands how it works. It is a mysterious process that has largely outrun its course. As the Treasurer made clear when the midyear financial results were released, the projections show that in 2007-08—the previous year—Western Australia received 9.4 per cent of the total GST collections. On a population basis, that is less than our pro rata share of around 11 per cent. The state Treasury projects that by 2011-12, which is only a couple of years away, that figure will be down to 5.7 per cent. We are basically getting to the point at which the Western Australian public will get back not much more than 50c in the dollar for the GST they pay when they buy goods and services. That is clearly an inequitable position and it is unsustainable for the commonwealth. I have made those views known to the federal Treasurer and I mentioned it briefly, I believe, to the Prime Minister. I wrote to the Prime Minister in more detail on that. Mr E.S. Ripper : I have also raised it with the Prime Minister. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I agree with the Leader of the Opposition and I thank him for his position. Somewhat mysteriously, today at 5.00 pm the Commonwealth Grants Commission will release its funding allocations for next year. It is a bizarre time to do it. Why would it release that information at 5.00 pm on a Thursday? That information has been embargoed for some time, so its release has been delayed. I cannot breach that embargo but I can tell members to not expect good news for Western Australia. I have told the Prime Minister that we are seeing a trend of substantial cuts in this state’s share of GST revenues on the basis of data collected two or three years ago at the peak of the boom. Even if this state experiences the type of economic shock that every other state experiences, we will see our share of GST reduced dramatically. Western Australia has the ability to be countercyclical. It is a big call, but this state has the ability to help not just Western Australians but all Australians through this recession. If Western Australia is held back, it will limit not only this state, but also the nation’s economic performance. I put it to the Prime Minister that there should be a complete review of the Commonwealth Grants Commission process. It is almost a form of witchcraft and it belongs in a previous era. It is about time it was moved into the modern era. There will be a debate about this matter that will require leadership from the commonwealth and a lot of negotiation and discussion between the states. In my view, an upper and lower limit should be set. Mr M. McGowan : Why did Richard Court sign it? You were the deputy leader to Richard Court when he signed it. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I am not even talking to you. You have disgraced yourself this week. Most Western Australians accept that for decades Western Australia was a net beneficiary of the commonwealth-state financial sharing arrangements. We are now a more prosperous state, as is Queensland. I accept the principle of providing some fiscal redistribution across Australia. However, when WA receives in the order of 50c in the dollar, that is clearly unsustainable and unacceptable to the people of this state. That is certain to be a significant election issue if it is not addressed by the federal government. Why, during a federal election, would Western Australians ignore the fact that WA gets back 50c in the dollar? I hope that the Rudd government does take this matter on board. We have made constructive suggestions. Broadly, I have said that the starting point should be to set an upper and a lower limit, perhaps plus or minus 25 per cent. We can argue the toss. Mr M. McGowan : Obviously. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Obviously, he says. But it is not there, member for Rockingham! Mr M. McGowan : You signed it. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Oh, yes. No-one could have anticipated this outcome. The member for Rockingham can go back to the 1990s and continue to insult seniors in our community and he can continue to insult ethnic groups, or whatever else he wants to do. Meanwhile, responsible people in this Parliament will deal with the issues that matter. I have put the proposition to the Prime Minister that the whole system ought to be reviewed and that we should look at setting an upper and a lower limit. I have suggested that plus or minus 25 per cent might be a good starting point.
Mr C.J. BARNETT replied: I thank the member for Carine for the question. He brings to Parliament a high level of economic and financial ability and will no doubt contribute to financial matters during his political career. Yesterday the Treasurer and I, and, indeed, the Leader of the Opposition, commented on the prospect of a sharp decline in this state’s share of goods and services tax revenues. I do not think that at the time the GST agreements were signed anyone anticipated the scenario that looks like playing out. Mr E.S. Ripper : You were a member of that committee. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I will answer the question. I am just 30 seconds into my answer. Give me a couple of minutes, and then the Leader of the Opposition can interject. I do not think that anyone would have anticipated such disparate growth rates and the way in which the Commonwealth Grants Commission takes into account various factors. It is like a big black box; no-one really understands how it works. It is a mysterious process that has largely outrun its course. As the Treasurer made clear when the midyear financial results were released, the projections show that in 2007-08—the previous year—Western Australia received 9.4 per cent of the total GST collections. On a population basis, that is less than our pro rata share of around 11 per cent. The state Treasury projects that by 2011-12, which is only a couple of years away, that figure will be down to 5.7 per cent. We are basically getting to the point at which the Western Australian public will get back not much more than 50c in the dollar for the GST they pay when they buy goods and services. That is clearly an inequitable position and it is unsustainable for the commonwealth. I have made those views known to the federal Treasurer and I mentioned it briefly, I believe, to the Prime Minister. I wrote to the Prime Minister in more detail on that. Mr E.S. Ripper : I have also raised it with the Prime Minister. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I agree with the Leader of the Opposition and I thank him for his position. Somewhat mysteriously, today at 5.00 pm the Commonwealth Grants Commission will release its funding allocations for next year. It is a bizarre time to do it. Why would it release that information at 5.00 pm on a Thursday? That information has been embargoed for some time, so its release has been delayed. I cannot breach that embargo but I can tell members to not expect good news for Western Australia. I have told the Prime Minister that we are seeing a trend of substantial cuts in this state’s share of GST revenues on the basis of data collected two or three years ago at the peak of the boom. Even if this state experiences the type of economic shock that every other state experiences, we will see our share of GST reduced dramatically. Western Australia has the ability to be countercyclical. It is a big call, but this state has the ability to help not just Western Australians but all Australians through this recession. If Western Australia is held back, it will limit not only this state, but also the nation’s economic performance. I put it to the Prime Minister that there should be a complete review of the Commonwealth Grants Commission process. It is almost a form of witchcraft and it belongs in a previous era. It is about time it was moved into the modern era. There will be a debate about this matter that will require leadership from the commonwealth and a lot of negotiation and discussion between the states. In my view, an upper and lower limit should be set. Mr M. McGowan : Why did Richard Court sign it? You were the deputy leader to Richard Court when he signed it. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I am not even talking to you. You have disgraced yourself this week. Most Western Australians accept that for decades Western Australia was a net beneficiary of the commonwealth-state financial sharing arrangements. We are now a more prosperous state, as is Queensland. I accept the principle of providing some fiscal redistribution across Australia. However, when WA receives in the order of 50c in the dollar, that is clearly unsustainable and unacceptable to the people of this state. That is certain to be a significant election issue if it is not addressed by the federal government. Why, during a federal election, would Western Australians ignore the fact that WA gets back 50c in the dollar? I hope that the Rudd government does take this matter on board. We have made constructive suggestions. Broadly, I have said that the starting point should be to set an upper and a lower limit, perhaps plus or minus 25 per cent. We can argue the toss. Mr M. McGowan : Obviously. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Obviously, he says. But it is not there, member for Rockingham! Mr M. McGowan : You signed it. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Oh, yes. No-one could have anticipated this outcome. The member for Rockingham can go back to the 1990s and continue to insult seniors in our community and he can continue to insult ethnic groups, or whatever else he wants to do. Meanwhile, responsible people in this Parliament will deal with the issues that matter. I have put the proposition to the Prime Minister that the whole system ought to be reviewed and that we should look at setting an upper and a lower limit. I have suggested that plus or minus 25 per cent might be a good starting point.
I thank the member for Carine for the question. He brings to Parliament a high level of economic and financial ability and will no doubt contribute to financial matters during his political career. Yesterday the Treasurer and I, and, indeed, the Leader of the Opposition, commented on the prospect of a sharp decline in this state’s share of goods and services tax revenues. I do not think that at the time the GST agreements were signed anyone anticipated the scenario that looks like playing out. Mr E.S. Ripper : You were a member of that committee. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I will answer the question. I am just 30 seconds into my answer. Give me a couple of minutes, and then the Leader of the Opposition can interject. I do not think that anyone would have anticipated such disparate growth rates and the way in which the Commonwealth Grants Commission takes into account various factors. It is like a big black box; no-one really understands how it works. It is a mysterious process that has largely outrun its course. As the Treasurer made clear when the midyear financial results were released, the projections show that in 2007-08—the previous year—Western Australia received 9.4 per cent of the total GST collections. On a population basis, that is less than our pro rata share of around 11 per cent. The state Treasury projects that by 2011-12, which is only a couple of years away, that figure will be down to 5.7 per cent. We are basically getting to the point at which the Western Australian public will get back not much more than 50c in the dollar for the GST they pay when they buy goods and services. That is clearly an inequitable position and it is unsustainable for the commonwealth. I have made those views known to the federal Treasurer and I mentioned it briefly, I believe, to the Prime Minister. I wrote to the Prime Minister in more detail on that. Mr E.S. Ripper : I have also raised it with the Prime Minister. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I agree with the Leader of the Opposition and I thank him for his position. Somewhat mysteriously, today at 5.00 pm the Commonwealth Grants Commission will release its funding allocations for next year. It is a bizarre time to do it. Why would it release that information at 5.00 pm on a Thursday? That information has been embargoed for some time, so its release has been delayed. I cannot breach that embargo but I can tell members to not expect good news for Western Australia. I have told the Prime Minister that we are seeing a trend of substantial cuts in this state’s share of GST revenues on the basis of data collected two or three years ago at the peak of the boom. Even if this state experiences the type of economic shock that every other state experiences, we will see our share of GST reduced dramatically. Western Australia has the ability to be countercyclical. It is a big call, but this state has the ability to help not just Western Australians but all Australians through this recession. If Western Australia is held back, it will limit not only this state, but also the nation’s economic performance. I put it to the Prime Minister that there should be a complete review of the Commonwealth Grants Commission process. It is almost a form of witchcraft and it belongs in a previous era. It is about time it was moved into the modern era. There will be a debate about this matter that will require leadership from the commonwealth and a lot of negotiation and discussion between the states. In my view, an upper and lower limit should be set. Mr M. McGowan : Why did Richard Court sign it? You were the deputy leader to Richard Court when he signed it. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I am not even talking to you. You have disgraced yourself this week. Most Western Australians accept that for decades Western Australia was a net beneficiary of the commonwealth-state financial sharing arrangements. We are now a more prosperous state, as is Queensland. I accept the principle of providing some fiscal redistribution across Australia. However, when WA receives in the order of 50c in the dollar, that is clearly unsustainable and unacceptable to the people of this state. That is certain to be a significant election issue if it is not addressed by the federal government. Why, during a federal election, would Western Australians ignore the fact that WA gets back 50c in the dollar? I hope that the Rudd government does take this matter on board. We have made constructive suggestions. Broadly, I have said that the starting point should be to set an upper and a lower limit, perhaps plus or minus 25 per cent. We can argue the toss. Mr M. McGowan : Obviously. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Obviously, he says. But it is not there, member for Rockingham! Mr M. McGowan : You signed it. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Oh, yes. No-one could have anticipated this outcome. The member for Rockingham can go back to the 1990s and continue to insult seniors in our community and he can continue to insult ethnic groups, or whatever else he wants to do. Meanwhile, responsible people in this Parliament will deal with the issues that matter. I have put the proposition to the Prime Minister that the whole system ought to be reviewed and that we should look at setting an upper and a lower limit. I have suggested that plus or minus 25 per cent might be a good starting point.
Mr E.S. Ripper : You were a member of that committee. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I will answer the question. I am just 30 seconds into my answer. Give me a couple of minutes, and then the Leader of the Opposition can interject. I do not think that anyone would have anticipated such disparate growth rates and the way in which the Commonwealth Grants Commission takes into account various factors. It is like a big black box; no-one really understands how it works. It is a mysterious process that has largely outrun its course. As the Treasurer made clear when the midyear financial results were released, the projections show that in 2007-08—the previous year—Western Australia received 9.4 per cent of the total GST collections. On a population basis, that is less than our pro rata share of around 11 per cent. The state Treasury projects that by 2011-12, which is only a couple of years away, that figure will be down to 5.7 per cent. We are basically getting to the point at which the Western Australian public will get back not much more than 50c in the dollar for the GST they pay when they buy goods and services. That is clearly an inequitable position and it is unsustainable for the commonwealth. I have made those views known to the federal Treasurer and I mentioned it briefly, I believe, to the Prime Minister. I wrote to the Prime Minister in more detail on that. Mr E.S. Ripper : I have also raised it with the Prime Minister. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I agree with the Leader of the Opposition and I thank him for his position. Somewhat mysteriously, today at 5.00 pm the Commonwealth Grants Commission will release its funding allocations for next year. It is a bizarre time to do it. Why would it release that information at 5.00 pm on a Thursday? That information has been embargoed for some time, so its release has been delayed. I cannot breach that embargo but I can tell members to not expect good news for Western Australia. I have told the Prime Minister that we are seeing a trend of substantial cuts in this state’s share of GST revenues on the basis of data collected two or three years ago at the peak of the boom. Even if this state experiences the type of economic shock that every other state experiences, we will see our share of GST reduced dramatically. Western Australia has the ability to be countercyclical. It is a big call, but this state has the ability to help not just Western Australians but all Australians through this recession. If Western Australia is held back, it will limit not only this state, but also the nation’s economic performance. I put it to the Prime Minister that there should be a complete review of the Commonwealth Grants Commission process. It is almost a form of witchcraft and it belongs in a previous era. It is about time it was moved into the modern era. There will be a debate about this matter that will require leadership from the commonwealth and a lot of negotiation and discussion between the states. In my view, an upper and lower limit should be set. Mr M. McGowan : Why did Richard Court sign it? You were the deputy leader to Richard Court when he signed it. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I am not even talking to you. You have disgraced yourself this week. Most Western Australians accept that for decades Western Australia was a net beneficiary of the commonwealth-state financial sharing arrangements. We are now a more prosperous state, as is Queensland. I accept the principle of providing some fiscal redistribution across Australia. However, when WA receives in the order of 50c in the dollar, that is clearly unsustainable and unacceptable to the people of this state. That is certain to be a significant election issue if it is not addressed by the federal government. Why, during a federal election, would Western Australians ignore the fact that WA gets back 50c in the dollar? I hope that the Rudd government does take this matter on board. We have made constructive suggestions. Broadly, I have said that the starting point should be to set an upper and a lower limit, perhaps plus or minus 25 per cent. We can argue the toss. Mr M. McGowan : Obviously. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Obviously, he says. But it is not there, member for Rockingham! Mr M. McGowan : You signed it. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Oh, yes. No-one could have anticipated this outcome. The member for Rockingham can go back to the 1990s and continue to insult seniors in our community and he can continue to insult ethnic groups, or whatever else he wants to do. Meanwhile, responsible people in this Parliament will deal with the issues that matter. I have put the proposition to the Prime Minister that the whole system ought to be reviewed and that we should look at setting an upper and a lower limit. I have suggested that plus or minus 25 per cent might be a good starting point.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : I will answer the question. I am just 30 seconds into my answer. Give me a couple of minutes, and then the Leader of the Opposition can interject. I do not think that anyone would have anticipated such disparate growth rates and the way in which the Commonwealth Grants Commission takes into account various factors. It is like a big black box; no-one really understands how it works. It is a mysterious process that has largely outrun its course. As the Treasurer made clear when the midyear financial results were released, the projections show that in 2007-08—the previous year—Western Australia received 9.4 per cent of the total GST collections. On a population basis, that is less than our pro rata share of around 11 per cent. The state Treasury projects that by 2011-12, which is only a couple of years away, that figure will be down to 5.7 per cent. We are basically getting to the point at which the Western Australian public will get back not much more than 50c in the dollar for the GST they pay when they buy goods and services. That is clearly an inequitable position and it is unsustainable for the commonwealth. I have made those views known to the federal Treasurer and I mentioned it briefly, I believe, to the Prime Minister. I wrote to the Prime Minister in more detail on that. Mr E.S. Ripper : I have also raised it with the Prime Minister. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I agree with the Leader of the Opposition and I thank him for his position. Somewhat mysteriously, today at 5.00 pm the Commonwealth Grants Commission will release its funding allocations for next year. It is a bizarre time to do it. Why would it release that information at 5.00 pm on a Thursday? That information has been embargoed for some time, so its release has been delayed. I cannot breach that embargo but I can tell members to not expect good news for Western Australia. I have told the Prime Minister that we are seeing a trend of substantial cuts in this state’s share of GST revenues on the basis of data collected two or three years ago at the peak of the boom. Even if this state experiences the type of economic shock that every other state experiences, we will see our share of GST reduced dramatically. Western Australia has the ability to be countercyclical. It is a big call, but this state has the ability to help not just Western Australians but all Australians through this recession. If Western Australia is held back, it will limit not only this state, but also the nation’s economic performance. I put it to the Prime Minister that there should be a complete review of the Commonwealth Grants Commission process. It is almost a form of witchcraft and it belongs in a previous era. It is about time it was moved into the modern era. There will be a debate about this matter that will require leadership from the commonwealth and a lot of negotiation and discussion between the states. In my view, an upper and lower limit should be set. Mr M. McGowan : Why did Richard Court sign it? You were the deputy leader to Richard Court when he signed it. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I am not even talking to you. You have disgraced yourself this week. Most Western Australians accept that for decades Western Australia was a net beneficiary of the commonwealth-state financial sharing arrangements. We are now a more prosperous state, as is Queensland. I accept the principle of providing some fiscal redistribution across Australia. However, when WA receives in the order of 50c in the dollar, that is clearly unsustainable and unacceptable to the people of this state. That is certain to be a significant election issue if it is not addressed by the federal government. Why, during a federal election, would Western Australians ignore the fact that WA gets back 50c in the dollar? I hope that the Rudd government does take this matter on board. We have made constructive suggestions. Broadly, I have said that the starting point should be to set an upper and a lower limit, perhaps plus or minus 25 per cent. We can argue the toss. Mr M. McGowan : Obviously. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Obviously, he says. But it is not there, member for Rockingham! Mr M. McGowan : You signed it. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Oh, yes. No-one could have anticipated this outcome. The member for Rockingham can go back to the 1990s and continue to insult seniors in our community and he can continue to insult ethnic groups, or whatever else he wants to do. Meanwhile, responsible people in this Parliament will deal with the issues that matter. I have put the proposition to the Prime Minister that the whole system ought to be reviewed and that we should look at setting an upper and a lower limit. I have suggested that plus or minus 25 per cent might be a good starting point.
Mr E.S. Ripper : I have also raised it with the Prime Minister. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I agree with the Leader of the Opposition and I thank him for his position. Somewhat mysteriously, today at 5.00 pm the Commonwealth Grants Commission will release its funding allocations for next year. It is a bizarre time to do it. Why would it release that information at 5.00 pm on a Thursday? That information has been embargoed for some time, so its release has been delayed. I cannot breach that embargo but I can tell members to not expect good news for Western Australia. I have told the Prime Minister that we are seeing a trend of substantial cuts in this state’s share of GST revenues on the basis of data collected two or three years ago at the peak of the boom. Even if this state experiences the type of economic shock that every other state experiences, we will see our share of GST reduced dramatically. Western Australia has the ability to be countercyclical. It is a big call, but this state has the ability to help not just Western Australians but all Australians through this recession. If Western Australia is held back, it will limit not only this state, but also the nation’s economic performance. I put it to the Prime Minister that there should be a complete review of the Commonwealth Grants Commission process. It is almost a form of witchcraft and it belongs in a previous era. It is about time it was moved into the modern era. There will be a debate about this matter that will require leadership from the commonwealth and a lot of negotiation and discussion between the states. In my view, an upper and lower limit should be set. Mr M. McGowan : Why did Richard Court sign it? You were the deputy leader to Richard Court when he signed it. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I am not even talking to you. You have disgraced yourself this week. Most Western Australians accept that for decades Western Australia was a net beneficiary of the commonwealth-state financial sharing arrangements. We are now a more prosperous state, as is Queensland. I accept the principle of providing some fiscal redistribution across Australia. However, when WA receives in the order of 50c in the dollar, that is clearly unsustainable and unacceptable to the people of this state. That is certain to be a significant election issue if it is not addressed by the federal government. Why, during a federal election, would Western Australians ignore the fact that WA gets back 50c in the dollar? I hope that the Rudd government does take this matter on board. We have made constructive suggestions. Broadly, I have said that the starting point should be to set an upper and a lower limit, perhaps plus or minus 25 per cent. We can argue the toss. Mr M. McGowan : Obviously. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Obviously, he says. But it is not there, member for Rockingham! Mr M. McGowan : You signed it. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Oh, yes. No-one could have anticipated this outcome. The member for Rockingham can go back to the 1990s and continue to insult seniors in our community and he can continue to insult ethnic groups, or whatever else he wants to do. Meanwhile, responsible people in this Parliament will deal with the issues that matter. I have put the proposition to the Prime Minister that the whole system ought to be reviewed and that we should look at setting an upper and a lower limit. I have suggested that plus or minus 25 per cent might be a good starting point.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : I agree with the Leader of the Opposition and I thank him for his position. Somewhat mysteriously, today at 5.00 pm the Commonwealth Grants Commission will release its funding allocations for next year. It is a bizarre time to do it. Why would it release that information at 5.00 pm on a Thursday? That information has been embargoed for some time, so its release has been delayed. I cannot breach that embargo but I can tell members to not expect good news for Western Australia. I have told the Prime Minister that we are seeing a trend of substantial cuts in this state’s share of GST revenues on the basis of data collected two or three years ago at the peak of the boom. Even if this state experiences the type of economic shock that every other state experiences, we will see our share of GST reduced dramatically. Western Australia has the ability to be countercyclical. It is a big call, but this state has the ability to help not just Western Australians but all Australians through this recession. If Western Australia is held back, it will limit not only this state, but also the nation’s economic performance. I put it to the Prime Minister that there should be a complete review of the Commonwealth Grants Commission process. It is almost a form of witchcraft and it belongs in a previous era. It is about time it was moved into the modern era. There will be a debate about this matter that will require leadership from the commonwealth and a lot of negotiation and discussion between the states. In my view, an upper and lower limit should be set. Mr M. McGowan : Why did Richard Court sign it? You were the deputy leader to Richard Court when he signed it. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I am not even talking to you. You have disgraced yourself this week. Most Western Australians accept that for decades Western Australia was a net beneficiary of the commonwealth-state financial sharing arrangements. We are now a more prosperous state, as is Queensland. I accept the principle of providing some fiscal redistribution across Australia. However, when WA receives in the order of 50c in the dollar, that is clearly unsustainable and unacceptable to the people of this state. That is certain to be a significant election issue if it is not addressed by the federal government. Why, during a federal election, would Western Australians ignore the fact that WA gets back 50c in the dollar? I hope that the Rudd government does take this matter on board. We have made constructive suggestions. Broadly, I have said that the starting point should be to set an upper and a lower limit, perhaps plus or minus 25 per cent. We can argue the toss. Mr M. McGowan : Obviously. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Obviously, he says. But it is not there, member for Rockingham! Mr M. McGowan : You signed it. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Oh, yes. No-one could have anticipated this outcome. The member for Rockingham can go back to the 1990s and continue to insult seniors in our community and he can continue to insult ethnic groups, or whatever else he wants to do. Meanwhile, responsible people in this Parliament will deal with the issues that matter. I have put the proposition to the Prime Minister that the whole system ought to be reviewed and that we should look at setting an upper and a lower limit. I have suggested that plus or minus 25 per cent might be a good starting point.
Mr M. McGowan : Why did Richard Court sign it? You were the deputy leader to Richard Court when he signed it. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I am not even talking to you. You have disgraced yourself this week. Most Western Australians accept that for decades Western Australia was a net beneficiary of the commonwealth-state financial sharing arrangements. We are now a more prosperous state, as is Queensland. I accept the principle of providing some fiscal redistribution across Australia. However, when WA receives in the order of 50c in the dollar, that is clearly unsustainable and unacceptable to the people of this state. That is certain to be a significant election issue if it is not addressed by the federal government. Why, during a federal election, would Western Australians ignore the fact that WA gets back 50c in the dollar? I hope that the Rudd government does take this matter on board. We have made constructive suggestions. Broadly, I have said that the starting point should be to set an upper and a lower limit, perhaps plus or minus 25 per cent. We can argue the toss. Mr M. McGowan : Obviously. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Obviously, he says. But it is not there, member for Rockingham! Mr M. McGowan : You signed it. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Oh, yes. No-one could have anticipated this outcome. The member for Rockingham can go back to the 1990s and continue to insult seniors in our community and he can continue to insult ethnic groups, or whatever else he wants to do. Meanwhile, responsible people in this Parliament will deal with the issues that matter. I have put the proposition to the Prime Minister that the whole system ought to be reviewed and that we should look at setting an upper and a lower limit. I have suggested that plus or minus 25 per cent might be a good starting point.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : I am not even talking to you. You have disgraced yourself this week. Most Western Australians accept that for decades Western Australia was a net beneficiary of the commonwealth-state financial sharing arrangements. We are now a more prosperous state, as is Queensland. I accept the principle of providing some fiscal redistribution across Australia. However, when WA receives in the order of 50c in the dollar, that is clearly unsustainable and unacceptable to the people of this state. That is certain to be a significant election issue if it is not addressed by the federal government. Why, during a federal election, would Western Australians ignore the fact that WA gets back 50c in the dollar? I hope that the Rudd government does take this matter on board. We have made constructive suggestions. Broadly, I have said that the starting point should be to set an upper and a lower limit, perhaps plus or minus 25 per cent. We can argue the toss. Mr M. McGowan : Obviously. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Obviously, he says. But it is not there, member for Rockingham! Mr M. McGowan : You signed it. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Oh, yes. No-one could have anticipated this outcome. The member for Rockingham can go back to the 1990s and continue to insult seniors in our community and he can continue to insult ethnic groups, or whatever else he wants to do. Meanwhile, responsible people in this Parliament will deal with the issues that matter. I have put the proposition to the Prime Minister that the whole system ought to be reviewed and that we should look at setting an upper and a lower limit. I have suggested that plus or minus 25 per cent might be a good starting point.
Mr M. McGowan : Obviously. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Obviously, he says. But it is not there, member for Rockingham! Mr M. McGowan : You signed it. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Oh, yes. No-one could have anticipated this outcome. The member for Rockingham can go back to the 1990s and continue to insult seniors in our community and he can continue to insult ethnic groups, or whatever else he wants to do. Meanwhile, responsible people in this Parliament will deal with the issues that matter. I have put the proposition to the Prime Minister that the whole system ought to be reviewed and that we should look at setting an upper and a lower limit. I have suggested that plus or minus 25 per cent might be a good starting point.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : Obviously, he says. But it is not there, member for Rockingham! Mr M. McGowan : You signed it. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Oh, yes. No-one could have anticipated this outcome. The member for Rockingham can go back to the 1990s and continue to insult seniors in our community and he can continue to insult ethnic groups, or whatever else he wants to do. Meanwhile, responsible people in this Parliament will deal with the issues that matter. I have put the proposition to the Prime Minister that the whole system ought to be reviewed and that we should look at setting an upper and a lower limit. I have suggested that plus or minus 25 per cent might be a good starting point.
Mr M. McGowan : You signed it. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Oh, yes. No-one could have anticipated this outcome. The member for Rockingham can go back to the 1990s and continue to insult seniors in our community and he can continue to insult ethnic groups, or whatever else he wants to do. Meanwhile, responsible people in this Parliament will deal with the issues that matter. I have put the proposition to the Prime Minister that the whole system ought to be reviewed and that we should look at setting an upper and a lower limit. I have suggested that plus or minus 25 per cent might be a good starting point.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : Oh, yes. No-one could have anticipated this outcome. The member for Rockingham can go back to the 1990s and continue to insult seniors in our community and he can continue to insult ethnic groups, or whatever else he wants to do. Meanwhile, responsible people in this Parliament will deal with the issues that matter. I have put the proposition to the Prime Minister that the whole system ought to be reviewed and that we should look at setting an upper and a lower limit. I have suggested that plus or minus 25 per cent might be a good starting point.
Mr C.J. BARNETT replied: I thank the member for Carine for the question. He brings to Parliament a high level of economic and financial ability and will no doubt contribute to financial matters during his political career. Yesterday the Treasurer and I, and, indeed, the Leader of the Opposition, commented on the prospect of a sharp decline in this state’s share of goods and services tax revenues. I do not think that at the time the GST agreements were signed anyone anticipated the scenario that looks like playing out. Mr E.S. Ripper : You were a member of that committee. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I will answer the question. I am just 30 seconds into my answer. Give me a couple of minutes, and then the Leader of the Opposition can interject. I do not think that anyone would have anticipated such disparate growth rates and the way in which the Commonwealth Grants Commission takes into account various factors. It is like a big black box; no-one really understands how it works. It is a mysterious process that has largely outrun its course. As the Treasurer made clear when the midyear financial results were released, the projections show that in 2007-08—the previous year—Western Australia received 9.4 per cent of the total GST collections. On a population basis, that is less than our pro rata share of around 11 per cent. The state Treasury projects that by 2011-12, which is only a couple of years away, that figure will be down to 5.7 per cent. We are basically getting to the point at which the Western Australian public will get back not much more than 50c in the dollar for the GST they pay when they buy goods and services. That is clearly an inequitable position and it is unsustainable for the commonwealth. I have made those views known to the federal Treasurer and I mentioned it briefly, I believe, to the Prime Minister. I wrote to the Prime Minister in more detail on that. Mr E.S. Ripper : I have also raised it with the Prime Minister. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I agree with the Leader of the Opposition and I thank him for his position. Somewhat mysteriously, today at 5.00 pm the Commonwealth Grants Commission will release its funding allocations for next year. It is a bizarre time to do it. Why would it release that information at 5.00 pm on a Thursday? That information has been embargoed for some time, so its release has been delayed. I cannot breach that embargo but I can tell members to not expect good news for Western Australia. I have told the Prime Minister that we are seeing a trend of substantial cuts in this state’s share of GST revenues on the basis of data collected two or three years ago at the peak of the boom. Even if this state experiences the type of economic shock that every other state experiences, we will see our share of GST reduced dramatically. Western Australia has the ability to be countercyclical. It is a big call, but this state has the ability to help not just Western Australians but all Australians through this recession. If Western Australia is held back, it will limit not only this state, but also the nation’s economic performance. I put it to the Prime Minister that there should be a complete review of the Commonwealth Grants Commission process. It is almost a form of witchcraft and it belongs in a previous era. It is about time it was moved into the modern era. There will be a debate about this matter that will require leadership from the commonwealth and a lot of negotiation and discussion between the states. In my view, an upper and lower limit should be set. Mr M. McGowan : Why did Richard Court sign it? You were the deputy leader to Richard Court when he signed it. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I am not even talking to you. You have disgraced yourself this week. Most Western Australians accept that for decades Western Australia was a net beneficiary of the commonwealth-state financial sharing arrangements. We are now a more prosperous state, as is Queensland. I accept the principle of providing some fiscal redistribution across Australia. However, when WA receives in the order of 50c in the dollar, that is clearly unsustainable and unacceptable to the people of this state. That is certain to be a significant election issue if it is not addressed by the federal government. Why, during a federal election, would Western Australians ignore the fact that WA gets back 50c in the dollar? I hope that the Rudd government does take this matter on board. We have made constructive suggestions. Broadly, I have said that the starting point should be to set an upper and a lower limit, perhaps plus or minus 25 per cent. We can argue the toss. Mr M. McGowan : Obviously. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Obviously, he says. But it is not there, member for Rockingham! Mr M. McGowan : You signed it. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Oh, yes. No-one could have anticipated this outcome. The member for Rockingham can go back to the 1990s and continue to insult seniors in our community and he can continue to insult ethnic groups, or whatever else he wants to do. Meanwhile, responsible people in this Parliament will deal with the issues that matter. I have put the proposition to the Prime Minister that the whole system ought to be reviewed and that we should look at setting an upper and a lower limit. I have suggested that plus or minus 25 per cent might be a good starting point.
I thank the member for Carine for the question. He brings to Parliament a high level of economic and financial ability and will no doubt contribute to financial matters during his political career. Yesterday the Treasurer and I, and, indeed, the Leader of the Opposition, commented on the prospect of a sharp decline in this state’s share of goods and services tax revenues. I do not think that at the time the GST agreements were signed anyone anticipated the scenario that looks like playing out. Mr E.S. Ripper : You were a member of that committee. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I will answer the question. I am just 30 seconds into my answer. Give me a couple of minutes, and then the Leader of the Opposition can interject. I do not think that anyone would have anticipated such disparate growth rates and the way in which the Commonwealth Grants Commission takes into account various factors. It is like a big black box; no-one really understands how it works. It is a mysterious process that has largely outrun its course. As the Treasurer made clear when the midyear financial results were released, the projections show that in 2007-08—the previous year—Western Australia received 9.4 per cent of the total GST collections. On a population basis, that is less than our pro rata share of around 11 per cent. The state Treasury projects that by 2011-12, which is only a couple of years away, that figure will be down to 5.7 per cent. We are basically getting to the point at which the Western Australian public will get back not much more than 50c in the dollar for the GST they pay when they buy goods and services. That is clearly an inequitable position and it is unsustainable for the commonwealth. I have made those views known to the federal Treasurer and I mentioned it briefly, I believe, to the Prime Minister. I wrote to the Prime Minister in more detail on that. Mr E.S. Ripper : I have also raised it with the Prime Minister. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I agree with the Leader of the Opposition and I thank him for his position. Somewhat mysteriously, today at 5.00 pm the Commonwealth Grants Commission will release its funding allocations for next year. It is a bizarre time to do it. Why would it release that information at 5.00 pm on a Thursday? That information has been embargoed for some time, so its release has been delayed. I cannot breach that embargo but I can tell members to not expect good news for Western Australia. I have told the Prime Minister that we are seeing a trend of substantial cuts in this state’s share of GST revenues on the basis of data collected two or three years ago at the peak of the boom. Even if this state experiences the type of economic shock that every other state experiences, we will see our share of GST reduced dramatically. Western Australia has the ability to be countercyclical. It is a big call, but this state has the ability to help not just Western Australians but all Australians through this recession. If Western Australia is held back, it will limit not only this state, but also the nation’s economic performance. I put it to the Prime Minister that there should be a complete review of the Commonwealth Grants Commission process. It is almost a form of witchcraft and it belongs in a previous era. It is about time it was moved into the modern era. There will be a debate about this matter that will require leadership from the commonwealth and a lot of negotiation and discussion between the states. In my view, an upper and lower limit should be set. Mr M. McGowan : Why did Richard Court sign it? You were the deputy leader to Richard Court when he signed it. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I am not even talking to you. You have disgraced yourself this week. Most Western Australians accept that for decades Western Australia was a net beneficiary of the commonwealth-state financial sharing arrangements. We are now a more prosperous state, as is Queensland. I accept the principle of providing some fiscal redistribution across Australia. However, when WA receives in the order of 50c in the dollar, that is clearly unsustainable and unacceptable to the people of this state. That is certain to be a significant election issue if it is not addressed by the federal government. Why, during a federal election, would Western Australians ignore the fact that WA gets back 50c in the dollar? I hope that the Rudd government does take this matter on board. We have made constructive suggestions. Broadly, I have said that the starting point should be to set an upper and a lower limit, perhaps plus or minus 25 per cent. We can argue the toss. Mr M. McGowan : Obviously. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Obviously, he says. But it is not there, member for Rockingham! Mr M. McGowan : You signed it. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Oh, yes. No-one could have anticipated this outcome. The member for Rockingham can go back to the 1990s and continue to insult seniors in our community and he can continue to insult ethnic groups, or whatever else he wants to do. Meanwhile, responsible people in this Parliament will deal with the issues that matter. I have put the proposition to the Prime Minister that the whole system ought to be reviewed and that we should look at setting an upper and a lower limit. I have suggested that plus or minus 25 per cent might be a good starting point.
Mr E.S. Ripper : You were a member of that committee. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I will answer the question. I am just 30 seconds into my answer. Give me a couple of minutes, and then the Leader of the Opposition can interject. I do not think that anyone would have anticipated such disparate growth rates and the way in which the Commonwealth Grants Commission takes into account various factors. It is like a big black box; no-one really understands how it works. It is a mysterious process that has largely outrun its course. As the Treasurer made clear when the midyear financial results were released, the projections show that in 2007-08—the previous year—Western Australia received 9.4 per cent of the total GST collections. On a population basis, that is less than our pro rata share of around 11 per cent. The state Treasury projects that by 2011-12, which is only a couple of years away, that figure will be down to 5.7 per cent. We are basically getting to the point at which the Western Australian public will get back not much more than 50c in the dollar for the GST they pay when they buy goods and services. That is clearly an inequitable position and it is unsustainable for the commonwealth. I have made those views known to the federal Treasurer and I mentioned it briefly, I believe, to the Prime Minister. I wrote to the Prime Minister in more detail on that. Mr E.S. Ripper : I have also raised it with the Prime Minister. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I agree with the Leader of the Opposition and I thank him for his position. Somewhat mysteriously, today at 5.00 pm the Commonwealth Grants Commission will release its funding allocations for next year. It is a bizarre time to do it. Why would it release that information at 5.00 pm on a Thursday? That information has been embargoed for some time, so its release has been delayed. I cannot breach that embargo but I can tell members to not expect good news for Western Australia. I have told the Prime Minister that we are seeing a trend of substantial cuts in this state’s share of GST revenues on the basis of data collected two or three years ago at the peak of the boom. Even if this state experiences the type of economic shock that every other state experiences, we will see our share of GST reduced dramatically. Western Australia has the ability to be countercyclical. It is a big call, but this state has the ability to help not just Western Australians but all Australians through this recession. If Western Australia is held back, it will limit not only this state, but also the nation’s economic performance. I put it to the Prime Minister that there should be a complete review of the Commonwealth Grants Commission process. It is almost a form of witchcraft and it belongs in a previous era. It is about time it was moved into the modern era. There will be a debate about this matter that will require leadership from the commonwealth and a lot of negotiation and discussion between the states. In my view, an upper and lower limit should be set. Mr M. McGowan : Why did Richard Court sign it? You were the deputy leader to Richard Court when he signed it. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I am not even talking to you. You have disgraced yourself this week. Most Western Australians accept that for decades Western Australia was a net beneficiary of the commonwealth-state financial sharing arrangements. We are now a more prosperous state, as is Queensland. I accept the principle of providing some fiscal redistribution across Australia. However, when WA receives in the order of 50c in the dollar, that is clearly unsustainable and unacceptable to the people of this state. That is certain to be a significant election issue if it is not addressed by the federal government. Why, during a federal election, would Western Australians ignore the fact that WA gets back 50c in the dollar? I hope that the Rudd government does take this matter on board. We have made constructive suggestions. Broadly, I have said that the starting point should be to set an upper and a lower limit, perhaps plus or minus 25 per cent. We can argue the toss. Mr M. McGowan : Obviously. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Obviously, he says. But it is not there, member for Rockingham! Mr M. McGowan : You signed it. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Oh, yes. No-one could have anticipated this outcome. The member for Rockingham can go back to the 1990s and continue to insult seniors in our community and he can continue to insult ethnic groups, or whatever else he wants to do. Meanwhile, responsible people in this Parliament will deal with the issues that matter. I have put the proposition to the Prime Minister that the whole system ought to be reviewed and that we should look at setting an upper and a lower limit. I have suggested that plus or minus 25 per cent might be a good starting point.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : I will answer the question. I am just 30 seconds into my answer. Give me a couple of minutes, and then the Leader of the Opposition can interject. I do not think that anyone would have anticipated such disparate growth rates and the way in which the Commonwealth Grants Commission takes into account various factors. It is like a big black box; no-one really understands how it works. It is a mysterious process that has largely outrun its course. As the Treasurer made clear when the midyear financial results were released, the projections show that in 2007-08—the previous year—Western Australia received 9.4 per cent of the total GST collections. On a population basis, that is less than our pro rata share of around 11 per cent. The state Treasury projects that by 2011-12, which is only a couple of years away, that figure will be down to 5.7 per cent. We are basically getting to the point at which the Western Australian public will get back not much more than 50c in the dollar for the GST they pay when they buy goods and services. That is clearly an inequitable position and it is unsustainable for the commonwealth. I have made those views known to the federal Treasurer and I mentioned it briefly, I believe, to the Prime Minister. I wrote to the Prime Minister in more detail on that. Mr E.S. Ripper : I have also raised it with the Prime Minister. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I agree with the Leader of the Opposition and I thank him for his position. Somewhat mysteriously, today at 5.00 pm the Commonwealth Grants Commission will release its funding allocations for next year. It is a bizarre time to do it. Why would it release that information at 5.00 pm on a Thursday? That information has been embargoed for some time, so its release has been delayed. I cannot breach that embargo but I can tell members to not expect good news for Western Australia. I have told the Prime Minister that we are seeing a trend of substantial cuts in this state’s share of GST revenues on the basis of data collected two or three years ago at the peak of the boom. Even if this state experiences the type of economic shock that every other state experiences, we will see our share of GST reduced dramatically. Western Australia has the ability to be countercyclical. It is a big call, but this state has the ability to help not just Western Australians but all Australians through this recession. If Western Australia is held back, it will limit not only this state, but also the nation’s economic performance. I put it to the Prime Minister that there should be a complete review of the Commonwealth Grants Commission process. It is almost a form of witchcraft and it belongs in a previous era. It is about time it was moved into the modern era. There will be a debate about this matter that will require leadership from the commonwealth and a lot of negotiation and discussion between the states. In my view, an upper and lower limit should be set. Mr M. McGowan : Why did Richard Court sign it? You were the deputy leader to Richard Court when he signed it. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I am not even talking to you. You have disgraced yourself this week. Most Western Australians accept that for decades Western Australia was a net beneficiary of the commonwealth-state financial sharing arrangements. We are now a more prosperous state, as is Queensland. I accept the principle of providing some fiscal redistribution across Australia. However, when WA receives in the order of 50c in the dollar, that is clearly unsustainable and unacceptable to the people of this state. That is certain to be a significant election issue if it is not addressed by the federal government. Why, during a federal election, would Western Australians ignore the fact that WA gets back 50c in the dollar? I hope that the Rudd government does take this matter on board. We have made constructive suggestions. Broadly, I have said that the starting point should be to set an upper and a lower limit, perhaps plus or minus 25 per cent. We can argue the toss. Mr M. McGowan : Obviously. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Obviously, he says. But it is not there, member for Rockingham! Mr M. McGowan : You signed it. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Oh, yes. No-one could have anticipated this outcome. The member for Rockingham can go back to the 1990s and continue to insult seniors in our community and he can continue to insult ethnic groups, or whatever else he wants to do. Meanwhile, responsible people in this Parliament will deal with the issues that matter. I have put the proposition to the Prime Minister that the whole system ought to be reviewed and that we should look at setting an upper and a lower limit. I have suggested that plus or minus 25 per cent might be a good starting point.
Mr E.S. Ripper : I have also raised it with the Prime Minister. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I agree with the Leader of the Opposition and I thank him for his position. Somewhat mysteriously, today at 5.00 pm the Commonwealth Grants Commission will release its funding allocations for next year. It is a bizarre time to do it. Why would it release that information at 5.00 pm on a Thursday? That information has been embargoed for some time, so its release has been delayed. I cannot breach that embargo but I can tell members to not expect good news for Western Australia. I have told the Prime Minister that we are seeing a trend of substantial cuts in this state’s share of GST revenues on the basis of data collected two or three years ago at the peak of the boom. Even if this state experiences the type of economic shock that every other state experiences, we will see our share of GST reduced dramatically. Western Australia has the ability to be countercyclical. It is a big call, but this state has the ability to help not just Western Australians but all Australians through this recession. If Western Australia is held back, it will limit not only this state, but also the nation’s economic performance. I put it to the Prime Minister that there should be a complete review of the Commonwealth Grants Commission process. It is almost a form of witchcraft and it belongs in a previous era. It is about time it was moved into the modern era. There will be a debate about this matter that will require leadership from the commonwealth and a lot of negotiation and discussion between the states. In my view, an upper and lower limit should be set. Mr M. McGowan : Why did Richard Court sign it? You were the deputy leader to Richard Court when he signed it. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I am not even talking to you. You have disgraced yourself this week. Most Western Australians accept that for decades Western Australia was a net beneficiary of the commonwealth-state financial sharing arrangements. We are now a more prosperous state, as is Queensland. I accept the principle of providing some fiscal redistribution across Australia. However, when WA receives in the order of 50c in the dollar, that is clearly unsustainable and unacceptable to the people of this state. That is certain to be a significant election issue if it is not addressed by the federal government. Why, during a federal election, would Western Australians ignore the fact that WA gets back 50c in the dollar? I hope that the Rudd government does take this matter on board. We have made constructive suggestions. Broadly, I have said that the starting point should be to set an upper and a lower limit, perhaps plus or minus 25 per cent. We can argue the toss. Mr M. McGowan : Obviously. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Obviously, he says. But it is not there, member for Rockingham! Mr M. McGowan : You signed it. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Oh, yes. No-one could have anticipated this outcome. The member for Rockingham can go back to the 1990s and continue to insult seniors in our community and he can continue to insult ethnic groups, or whatever else he wants to do. Meanwhile, responsible people in this Parliament will deal with the issues that matter. I have put the proposition to the Prime Minister that the whole system ought to be reviewed and that we should look at setting an upper and a lower limit. I have suggested that plus or minus 25 per cent might be a good starting point.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : I agree with the Leader of the Opposition and I thank him for his position. Somewhat mysteriously, today at 5.00 pm the Commonwealth Grants Commission will release its funding allocations for next year. It is a bizarre time to do it. Why would it release that information at 5.00 pm on a Thursday? That information has been embargoed for some time, so its release has been delayed. I cannot breach that embargo but I can tell members to not expect good news for Western Australia. I have told the Prime Minister that we are seeing a trend of substantial cuts in this state’s share of GST revenues on the basis of data collected two or three years ago at the peak of the boom. Even if this state experiences the type of economic shock that every other state experiences, we will see our share of GST reduced dramatically. Western Australia has the ability to be countercyclical. It is a big call, but this state has the ability to help not just Western Australians but all Australians through this recession. If Western Australia is held back, it will limit not only this state, but also the nation’s economic performance. I put it to the Prime Minister that there should be a complete review of the Commonwealth Grants Commission process. It is almost a form of witchcraft and it belongs in a previous era. It is about time it was moved into the modern era. There will be a debate about this matter that will require leadership from the commonwealth and a lot of negotiation and discussion between the states. In my view, an upper and lower limit should be set. Mr M. McGowan : Why did Richard Court sign it? You were the deputy leader to Richard Court when he signed it. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I am not even talking to you. You have disgraced yourself this week. Most Western Australians accept that for decades Western Australia was a net beneficiary of the commonwealth-state financial sharing arrangements. We are now a more prosperous state, as is Queensland. I accept the principle of providing some fiscal redistribution across Australia. However, when WA receives in the order of 50c in the dollar, that is clearly unsustainable and unacceptable to the people of this state. That is certain to be a significant election issue if it is not addressed by the federal government. Why, during a federal election, would Western Australians ignore the fact that WA gets back 50c in the dollar? I hope that the Rudd government does take this matter on board. We have made constructive suggestions. Broadly, I have said that the starting point should be to set an upper and a lower limit, perhaps plus or minus 25 per cent. We can argue the toss. Mr M. McGowan : Obviously. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Obviously, he says. But it is not there, member for Rockingham! Mr M. McGowan : You signed it. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Oh, yes. No-one could have anticipated this outcome. The member for Rockingham can go back to the 1990s and continue to insult seniors in our community and he can continue to insult ethnic groups, or whatever else he wants to do. Meanwhile, responsible people in this Parliament will deal with the issues that matter. I have put the proposition to the Prime Minister that the whole system ought to be reviewed and that we should look at setting an upper and a lower limit. I have suggested that plus or minus 25 per cent might be a good starting point.
Mr M. McGowan : Why did Richard Court sign it? You were the deputy leader to Richard Court when he signed it. Mr C.J. BARNETT : I am not even talking to you. You have disgraced yourself this week. Most Western Australians accept that for decades Western Australia was a net beneficiary of the commonwealth-state financial sharing arrangements. We are now a more prosperous state, as is Queensland. I accept the principle of providing some fiscal redistribution across Australia. However, when WA receives in the order of 50c in the dollar, that is clearly unsustainable and unacceptable to the people of this state. That is certain to be a significant election issue if it is not addressed by the federal government. Why, during a federal election, would Western Australians ignore the fact that WA gets back 50c in the dollar? I hope that the Rudd government does take this matter on board. We have made constructive suggestions. Broadly, I have said that the starting point should be to set an upper and a lower limit, perhaps plus or minus 25 per cent. We can argue the toss. Mr M. McGowan : Obviously. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Obviously, he says. But it is not there, member for Rockingham! Mr M. McGowan : You signed it. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Oh, yes. No-one could have anticipated this outcome. The member for Rockingham can go back to the 1990s and continue to insult seniors in our community and he can continue to insult ethnic groups, or whatever else he wants to do. Meanwhile, responsible people in this Parliament will deal with the issues that matter. I have put the proposition to the Prime Minister that the whole system ought to be reviewed and that we should look at setting an upper and a lower limit. I have suggested that plus or minus 25 per cent might be a good starting point.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : I am not even talking to you. You have disgraced yourself this week. Most Western Australians accept that for decades Western Australia was a net beneficiary of the commonwealth-state financial sharing arrangements. We are now a more prosperous state, as is Queensland. I accept the principle of providing some fiscal redistribution across Australia. However, when WA receives in the order of 50c in the dollar, that is clearly unsustainable and unacceptable to the people of this state. That is certain to be a significant election issue if it is not addressed by the federal government. Why, during a federal election, would Western Australians ignore the fact that WA gets back 50c in the dollar? I hope that the Rudd government does take this matter on board. We have made constructive suggestions. Broadly, I have said that the starting point should be to set an upper and a lower limit, perhaps plus or minus 25 per cent. We can argue the toss. Mr M. McGowan : Obviously. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Obviously, he says. But it is not there, member for Rockingham! Mr M. McGowan : You signed it. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Oh, yes. No-one could have anticipated this outcome. The member for Rockingham can go back to the 1990s and continue to insult seniors in our community and he can continue to insult ethnic groups, or whatever else he wants to do. Meanwhile, responsible people in this Parliament will deal with the issues that matter. I have put the proposition to the Prime Minister that the whole system ought to be reviewed and that we should look at setting an upper and a lower limit. I have suggested that plus or minus 25 per cent might be a good starting point.
Mr M. McGowan : Obviously. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Obviously, he says. But it is not there, member for Rockingham! Mr M. McGowan : You signed it. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Oh, yes. No-one could have anticipated this outcome. The member for Rockingham can go back to the 1990s and continue to insult seniors in our community and he can continue to insult ethnic groups, or whatever else he wants to do. Meanwhile, responsible people in this Parliament will deal with the issues that matter. I have put the proposition to the Prime Minister that the whole system ought to be reviewed and that we should look at setting an upper and a lower limit. I have suggested that plus or minus 25 per cent might be a good starting point.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : Obviously, he says. But it is not there, member for Rockingham! Mr M. McGowan : You signed it. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Oh, yes. No-one could have anticipated this outcome. The member for Rockingham can go back to the 1990s and continue to insult seniors in our community and he can continue to insult ethnic groups, or whatever else he wants to do. Meanwhile, responsible people in this Parliament will deal with the issues that matter. I have put the proposition to the Prime Minister that the whole system ought to be reviewed and that we should look at setting an upper and a lower limit. I have suggested that plus or minus 25 per cent might be a good starting point.
Mr M. McGowan : You signed it. Mr C.J. BARNETT : Oh, yes. No-one could have anticipated this outcome. The member for Rockingham can go back to the 1990s and continue to insult seniors in our community and he can continue to insult ethnic groups, or whatever else he wants to do. Meanwhile, responsible people in this Parliament will deal with the issues that matter. I have put the proposition to the Prime Minister that the whole system ought to be reviewed and that we should look at setting an upper and a lower limit. I have suggested that plus or minus 25 per cent might be a good starting point.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : Oh, yes. No-one could have anticipated this outcome. The member for Rockingham can go back to the 1990s and continue to insult seniors in our community and he can continue to insult ethnic groups, or whatever else he wants to do. Meanwhile, responsible people in this Parliament will deal with the issues that matter. I have put the proposition to the Prime Minister that the whole system ought to be reviewed and that we should look at setting an upper and a lower limit. I have suggested that plus or minus 25 per cent might be a good starting point.
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