❓ Question regarding Julie Bishop's comments on GST distribution to WA and her role in advocating for a fairer share. Premier responds by criticising Bishop's stance as a betrayal of WA, advocating for national leadership to address the issue.
AnsweredQoN 584Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
GST DISTRIBUTION — HON JULIE BISHOP'S
COMMENTS
584. Ms J.M. FREEMAN to the
Premier:
I refer to the
comments by the Acting Prime Minister and WA's most senior federal
minister Julie Bishop who said yesterday that we would have to be in a parallel
universe to think that the federal government would give WA a fairer share of
GST.
(1)
Can the Premier advise the house of whether the basis of that bizarre assertion
is correct; and, if not, can the Premier outline why it is not correct?
(2)
Can the Premier advise the house on what role Ms Bishop can play in standing up
for WA and ensuring that we receive a fairer share of GST?
COMMENTS
584. Ms J.M. FREEMAN to the
Premier:
I refer to the
comments by the Acting Prime Minister and WA's most senior federal
minister Julie Bishop who said yesterday that we would have to be in a parallel
universe to think that the federal government would give WA a fairer share of
GST.
(1)
Can the Premier advise the house of whether the basis of that bizarre assertion
is correct; and, if not, can the Premier outline why it is not correct?
(2)
Can the Premier advise the house on what role Ms Bishop can play in standing up
for WA and ensuring that we receive a fairer share of GST?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2)
I thank the member for the question. I want to outline what has occurred.
Before doing so, I want to say this: the share of goods and services tax
revenue for Western Australia is one of the biggest issues, if not the biggest
issue, in Western Australia. I thought that as a Parliament we would all be on
the side of getting Western Australia a better share of that tax revenue. I was
very pleased when the federal government in the course of this year announced a
Productivity Commission inquiry into the issue. The initial part of that report
has come down. It said the system is broken and needs repairing and it has made
a good case for Western Australia to get a better share of GST revenue. I agree
with that report.
As I made plain
yesterday at a business breakfast, it is clear that we will never get all the
states to agree. The states will never all agree. It is impossible to achieve
that outcome. We need national leadership and commonwealth action to repair the
situation confronting our nation, including Western Australia. I was also very
pleased when I heard Scott Morrison, the federal Treasurer, say some warm
remarks about the Productivity Commission report and I thought that gave us
some hope. Indeed, other federal MPs on the other side of the country have also
said some warm things about the Productivity Commission report.
I come to Julie
Bishop's commentary yesterday. At a press conference, she said as
Acting Prime Minister of Australia, according to my notes —
Of course, you need
the support of the states in order to implement change. The federal government
would need the support of the state and territory governments to make a change
to what is a state and territory tax. Politically, it can't happen
without the states and territories.
As everyone now
understands, the reality is that we will not get all the states and territories
to agree. That will not happen. I note that the language of the Prime Minister,
who is currently in Israel, has changed. His language has moved on from saying
that we need all the states and territories to agree. That is what makes Ms Bishop's
language such a betrayal of Western Australia. Her language yesterday —
Several members
interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Scarborough!
Mr M. McGOWAN : Her language yesterday, as a federal MP
representing Western Australia, was treasonous to our state. It sets our state
back for the most senior federal MP in Western Australia to go back to those
old arguments —
Mrs L.M. Harvey interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Scarborough, I call you to order for the
first time.
Mr M. McGOWAN : It sets our state back for the most senior MP in Western
Australia to go back to those old arguments of all the states need to agree. We
have moved on from that. The entire country has moved on from that. We all
understand we need national leadership. I would have thought that, as the most
senior federal MP in this state, she would have understood that better than
anyone. I would ask her, on behalf of all of us in this state, and all of us on
all sides of this chamber, because it is in all of our interests, to stop that
sort of language and start supporting Western Australia and Western Australia
getting a fairer deal out of the GST arrangements.
I thank the member for the question. I want to outline what has occurred.
Before doing so, I want to say this: the share of goods and services tax
revenue for Western Australia is one of the biggest issues, if not the biggest
issue, in Western Australia. I thought that as a Parliament we would all be on
the side of getting Western Australia a better share of that tax revenue. I was
very pleased when the federal government in the course of this year announced a
Productivity Commission inquiry into the issue. The initial part of that report
has come down. It said the system is broken and needs repairing and it has made
a good case for Western Australia to get a better share of GST revenue. I agree
with that report.
As I made plain
yesterday at a business breakfast, it is clear that we will never get all the
states to agree. The states will never all agree. It is impossible to achieve
that outcome. We need national leadership and commonwealth action to repair the
situation confronting our nation, including Western Australia. I was also very
pleased when I heard Scott Morrison, the federal Treasurer, say some warm
remarks about the Productivity Commission report and I thought that gave us
some hope. Indeed, other federal MPs on the other side of the country have also
said some warm things about the Productivity Commission report.
I come to Julie
Bishop's commentary yesterday. At a press conference, she said as
Acting Prime Minister of Australia, according to my notes —
Of course, you need
the support of the states in order to implement change. The federal government
would need the support of the state and territory governments to make a change
to what is a state and territory tax. Politically, it can't happen
without the states and territories.
As everyone now
understands, the reality is that we will not get all the states and territories
to agree. That will not happen. I note that the language of the Prime Minister,
who is currently in Israel, has changed. His language has moved on from saying
that we need all the states and territories to agree. That is what makes Ms Bishop's
language such a betrayal of Western Australia. Her language yesterday —
Several members
interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Scarborough!
Mr M. McGOWAN : Her language yesterday, as a federal MP
representing Western Australia, was treasonous to our state. It sets our state
back for the most senior federal MP in Western Australia to go back to those
old arguments —
Mrs L.M. Harvey interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Scarborough, I call you to order for the
first time.
Mr M. McGOWAN : It sets our state back for the most senior MP in Western
Australia to go back to those old arguments of all the states need to agree. We
have moved on from that. The entire country has moved on from that. We all
understand we need national leadership. I would have thought that, as the most
senior federal MP in this state, she would have understood that better than
anyone. I would ask her, on behalf of all of us in this state, and all of us on
all sides of this chamber, because it is in all of our interests, to stop that
sort of language and start supporting Western Australia and Western Australia
getting a fairer deal out of the GST arrangements.
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