❓ Ms. Winton praises the McGowan government's GST deal and asks why only their efforts achieved it. The Premier details collaborative efforts leading to the reform, contrasting it with the previous government's inaction.
AnsweredQoN 507Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
GST DISTRIBUTION
507. Ms S.E. WINTON to the Premier:
I refer to the leadership shown by
the McGowan Labor government to reach a deal on the GST that will finally
deliver a genuine fix for Western Australia and ensure that WA gets its fair
share.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Ms S.E. WINTON : Can the
Premier outline to the house why it was only through the efforts of this
government that such a deal could have been reached?
The SPEAKER : Members! I will
hear it in silence; otherwise, the member can start again. Member, start again.
Ms S.E. WINTON : With
pleasure, Mr Speaker. I refer to the leadership shown by the McGowan Labor
government —
Mr A. Krsticevic interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Carine, I call you to order for the first time.
Ms S.E. WINTON : I refer to
the leadership shown by the McGowan Labor government to reach a deal on the GST
that will finally deliver a genuine fix for WA and ensure that WA gets its fair
share. Can the Premier outline to the house why it is only through the efforts
of this government that such a deal could have been achieved?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
507. Ms S.E. WINTON to the Premier:
I refer to the leadership shown by
the McGowan Labor government to reach a deal on the GST that will finally
deliver a genuine fix for Western Australia and ensure that WA gets its fair
share.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Ms S.E. WINTON : Can the
Premier outline to the house why it was only through the efforts of this
government that such a deal could have been reached?
The SPEAKER : Members! I will
hear it in silence; otherwise, the member can start again. Member, start again.
Ms S.E. WINTON : With
pleasure, Mr Speaker. I refer to the leadership shown by the McGowan Labor
government —
Mr A. Krsticevic interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Carine, I call you to order for the first time.
Ms S.E. WINTON : I refer to
the leadership shown by the McGowan Labor government to reach a deal on the GST
that will finally deliver a genuine fix for WA and ensure that WA gets its fair
share. Can the Premier outline to the house why it is only through the efforts
of this government that such a deal could have been achieved?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
AnswerView source ↗
It is a very good question. I would
like to share this achievement with others, particularly members of the Western
Australian community who were prepared to stand up and vote at the March state
election last year and who sent a message nationally that Western Australia was
there to be counted. I would also like to thank those senior business figures
who lobbied the commonwealth government on behalf of Western Australia.
I thank the member for Wanneroo. We
have achieved a significant reform to the GST system. It comes after eight and
a half years of failure by the local Liberal–National government. For
eight and a half years, it lectured, hectored, yelled and screamed and it got
nowhere. It achieved nothing in that period. Upon coming to office, I went and
saw the Prime Minister. I went to Sydney within about a week of coming to
office. I sat down with the Prime Minister in his office and had a talk to him
about it and suggested to him things like the Productivity Commission inquiry—things
to get through this issue. It would be fair to say that I developed a bit of a rapport
with him. It would be fair to say that he and I got on. It would be fair to say
that he had a few views about the state Liberal Party that I will not repeat
here. It is true that we got on. We took up the case for genuine reform. We
worked with the federal Minister for Finance, Mathias Cormann. I would like to
thank the Treasurer of Western Australia in particular. He took up the case
nationally. We made sure that it was seen as an issue that the federal
government had to resolve in Western Australia, not just in the interests of
our state, but also in its own interests. The arguments we put to the
Productivity Commission inquiry showed how comprehensively the existing system
was disincentivising Western Australia and also disincentivising other states
to develop their economies. The Productivity Commission came out with
recommendations fairly similar to the recommendations we put to it. We then
found that the federal government changed that somewhat, but it accepted our
core point, which was that there should be a floor of 75 cents in the dollar
below which no state can go. I would like to thank the federal government and I
would like to thank the federal opposition for campaigning hard on this issue.
It had some success. It deserves its share of the credit. The only people who
deserve none of the credit —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : I do not know
where Bill is. If you guys keep this up, some of you will not be here either.
Mr M. McGOWAN : The only
people who deserve none of the credit are the state Liberal and National
Parties. They achieved nothing. While we were working cooperatively to get this
outcome, what was the Liberal Party in Western Australia doing? It was voting
to secede, crowdfunding a High Court legal challenge and threatening to sue the
commonwealth. The Liberal Party achieved nothing, a bit like when it was in
government—it achieved nothing. After a bit over a year in office, we
have secured historic and fundamental reform to the GST system, in conjunction
with the people of Western Australia and the business community. I particularly
thank the Treasurer for all his work on this outcome.
like to share this achievement with others, particularly members of the Western
Australian community who were prepared to stand up and vote at the March state
election last year and who sent a message nationally that Western Australia was
there to be counted. I would also like to thank those senior business figures
who lobbied the commonwealth government on behalf of Western Australia.
I thank the member for Wanneroo. We
have achieved a significant reform to the GST system. It comes after eight and
a half years of failure by the local Liberal–National government. For
eight and a half years, it lectured, hectored, yelled and screamed and it got
nowhere. It achieved nothing in that period. Upon coming to office, I went and
saw the Prime Minister. I went to Sydney within about a week of coming to
office. I sat down with the Prime Minister in his office and had a talk to him
about it and suggested to him things like the Productivity Commission inquiry—things
to get through this issue. It would be fair to say that I developed a bit of a rapport
with him. It would be fair to say that he and I got on. It would be fair to say
that he had a few views about the state Liberal Party that I will not repeat
here. It is true that we got on. We took up the case for genuine reform. We
worked with the federal Minister for Finance, Mathias Cormann. I would like to
thank the Treasurer of Western Australia in particular. He took up the case
nationally. We made sure that it was seen as an issue that the federal
government had to resolve in Western Australia, not just in the interests of
our state, but also in its own interests. The arguments we put to the
Productivity Commission inquiry showed how comprehensively the existing system
was disincentivising Western Australia and also disincentivising other states
to develop their economies. The Productivity Commission came out with
recommendations fairly similar to the recommendations we put to it. We then
found that the federal government changed that somewhat, but it accepted our
core point, which was that there should be a floor of 75 cents in the dollar
below which no state can go. I would like to thank the federal government and I
would like to thank the federal opposition for campaigning hard on this issue.
It had some success. It deserves its share of the credit. The only people who
deserve none of the credit —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : I do not know
where Bill is. If you guys keep this up, some of you will not be here either.
Mr M. McGOWAN : The only
people who deserve none of the credit are the state Liberal and National
Parties. They achieved nothing. While we were working cooperatively to get this
outcome, what was the Liberal Party in Western Australia doing? It was voting
to secede, crowdfunding a High Court legal challenge and threatening to sue the
commonwealth. The Liberal Party achieved nothing, a bit like when it was in
government—it achieved nothing. After a bit over a year in office, we
have secured historic and fundamental reform to the GST system, in conjunction
with the people of Western Australia and the business community. I particularly
thank the Treasurer for all his work on this outcome.
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