Mr. Love questions the Premier's changing stance on WA's GST deal and the Treasury's preparedness amid concerns from other states. The Premier dismisses the questions as contradictory and highlights upcoming reviews.

AnsweredQoN 271Legislative Assembly
Asked
10 May 2023
Portfolio
Premier

QuestionView source ↗

GST DISTRIBUTION
271. Mr R.S. LOVE to the Premier:
I refer to the Premier's
$1.6 million ''GST fairness fighters'' and to the fact that on 14
March, the Premier referred to federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers categorically
ruling out removing WA's GST floor as good news. The Premier has now
referred to the looming GST reviews as a real threat.
(1) Why now, six weeks later, is the
Premier more worried about WA's GST deal?
(2) Why has the Department of Treasury not been
readying itself, given that Labor Premiers in New South Wales , Victoria
and South Australia have all said that they are actively campaigning to raid Western
Australia's GST share?

AnswerView source ↗

(1)–(2) The first part of the question is ''Why are
we doing it?'' and the second part of the question is ''Why haven't we done it yet?'' The Leader of the Opposition's is internally
contradictory, but that is not unusual. It is something that I am used to.
Remember that between now and 2026–27,
when the whole matter normalises, there is a federal election. Who knows what the Liberals and Nationals will do?
We are going to ensure that we put the best case forward as part of
these reviews. There are two reviews into these matters: one by the
Productivity Commission and the other by the Commonwealth Grants Commission.
For those two reviews, we will make sure that we
put the best case forward, which, I think, most Western Australians would think
is entirely appropriate.

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