❓ Question regarding the assurance that the GST deal secured for WA will be honoured if there's a change in federal Liberal Party leadership. Premier expresses concern about potential damage to WA due to federal dysfunction.
AnsweredQoN 578Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
GST DISTRIBUTION —
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT LEADERSHIP
578. Ms L.L. BAKER to the Premier:
I acknowledge the students from
Thornlie Senior High School who are in the public gallery this afternoon.
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's unprecedented commitment to stand up for Western Australia
and to the unprecedented commitment that this government has been able to
secure from the Turnbull government on GST reform. Can the Premier please
advise the house what assurance he has received that this deal will be honoured
should the leadership of the federal Liberal Party change? Can the Premier
outline whether he is aware of concerns that a change in Liberal Party leadership
could scuttle the deal?
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT LEADERSHIP
578. Ms L.L. BAKER to the Premier:
I acknowledge the students from
Thornlie Senior High School who are in the public gallery this afternoon.
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's unprecedented commitment to stand up for Western Australia
and to the unprecedented commitment that this government has been able to
secure from the Turnbull government on GST reform. Can the Premier please
advise the house what assurance he has received that this deal will be honoured
should the leadership of the federal Liberal Party change? Can the Premier
outline whether he is aware of concerns that a change in Liberal Party leadership
could scuttle the deal?
AnswerView source ↗
Mr Speaker, can I —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members! The
Premier is on his feet.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Prior to
answering this question, as the first opportunity to do so, I pass on my condolences
to the Minister for Transport on the loss of her dearly beloved father.
I thank the member for Maylands for
the question. All Western Australians should be very concerned about the
dysfunction and chaos in the federal Liberal Party and that personal
animosities and hatreds are being put before the good governance of this
country. It is one of those things that one watches from afar and shakes one's
head about how they can conduct themselves like this and how they can put
forward someone to be the Prime Minister of this country when we do not even
know whether he has even been to Western Australia before. The potential damage
from this dysfunction is greater to Western Australia than to any other state.
The crisis within the federal government has put the GST deal that we secured
for Western Australia under threat. Scott Morrison said today that the policies
that Mr Dutton would pursue would ''scuttle the WA GST package''.
Christian Porter, the member for Pearce, was asked on radio this morning whether
the GST package would be safe. He would not —
Mr J.E. McGrath interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for South
Perth, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Christian
Porter would not guarantee on radio this morning that the GST package would remain
in place if there was a change of leadership and change of prime ministership
nationally. The federal Treasurer and the federal Attorney General have
expressed no confidence —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr M. McGOWAN : It is incredible.
We have members of the Western Australian Liberal Party laughing about the
laughing stock that their party is making of this country. Their party is
making Australia an international laughing stock. They are in here laughing
about it and joking as though it were amusing. Federal Liberal MPs like Michael
Keenan, Andrew Hastie, Ben Morton, Dean Smith and Rick Wilson are voting for Mr
Dutton, who does not guarantee the GST deal for Western Australia.
Why are those Liberal MPs not
standing up nationally for our state? Why are they supporting a man who has no
credibility when it comes —
Several members interjected.
Mr J.E. McGrath : Where is
Bill Shorten?
The SPEAKER : I do not know
where Bill Shorten is but I know where you are, member for South Perth, and you
are certainly not a Shorten.
Mr M. McGOWAN : I imagine that
he is watching with some interest, as we all are. Why are those Liberal MPs not
standing up nationally for Western Australia, rather than supporting a man who
we have no faith will deliver the GST deal to our state? Like all Western Australians,
I am bewildered and shocked by what has gone on nationally. The Treasurer has
sent urgent correspondence to the current national Treasurer, Scott Morrison,
urging urgent confirmation that the GST deal for Western Australia, which was
negotiated and has been sought for a long time, will be honoured. I hope that
Scott Morrison will come back with an urgent guarantee in writing to the state
of Western Australia that this deal will be honoured. I tell the Liberal Party
this: if it reneges on this deal —
Mrs L.M. Harvey interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Scarborough, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr M. McGOWAN : If it betrays Western
Australia on this matter, Western Australians will never forgive it.
Dr M.D. Nahan : They'll
never forgive Bill Shorten!
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
Opposition, your own member is on his feet and you are interjecting.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members! The
Premier is on his feet.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Prior to
answering this question, as the first opportunity to do so, I pass on my condolences
to the Minister for Transport on the loss of her dearly beloved father.
I thank the member for Maylands for
the question. All Western Australians should be very concerned about the
dysfunction and chaos in the federal Liberal Party and that personal
animosities and hatreds are being put before the good governance of this
country. It is one of those things that one watches from afar and shakes one's
head about how they can conduct themselves like this and how they can put
forward someone to be the Prime Minister of this country when we do not even
know whether he has even been to Western Australia before. The potential damage
from this dysfunction is greater to Western Australia than to any other state.
The crisis within the federal government has put the GST deal that we secured
for Western Australia under threat. Scott Morrison said today that the policies
that Mr Dutton would pursue would ''scuttle the WA GST package''.
Christian Porter, the member for Pearce, was asked on radio this morning whether
the GST package would be safe. He would not —
Mr J.E. McGrath interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for South
Perth, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr M. McGOWAN : Christian
Porter would not guarantee on radio this morning that the GST package would remain
in place if there was a change of leadership and change of prime ministership
nationally. The federal Treasurer and the federal Attorney General have
expressed no confidence —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members!
Mr M. McGOWAN : It is incredible.
We have members of the Western Australian Liberal Party laughing about the
laughing stock that their party is making of this country. Their party is
making Australia an international laughing stock. They are in here laughing
about it and joking as though it were amusing. Federal Liberal MPs like Michael
Keenan, Andrew Hastie, Ben Morton, Dean Smith and Rick Wilson are voting for Mr
Dutton, who does not guarantee the GST deal for Western Australia.
Why are those Liberal MPs not
standing up nationally for our state? Why are they supporting a man who has no
credibility when it comes —
Several members interjected.
Mr J.E. McGrath : Where is
Bill Shorten?
The SPEAKER : I do not know
where Bill Shorten is but I know where you are, member for South Perth, and you
are certainly not a Shorten.
Mr M. McGOWAN : I imagine that
he is watching with some interest, as we all are. Why are those Liberal MPs not
standing up nationally for Western Australia, rather than supporting a man who
we have no faith will deliver the GST deal to our state? Like all Western Australians,
I am bewildered and shocked by what has gone on nationally. The Treasurer has
sent urgent correspondence to the current national Treasurer, Scott Morrison,
urging urgent confirmation that the GST deal for Western Australia, which was
negotiated and has been sought for a long time, will be honoured. I hope that
Scott Morrison will come back with an urgent guarantee in writing to the state
of Western Australia that this deal will be honoured. I tell the Liberal Party
this: if it reneges on this deal —
Mrs L.M. Harvey interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Scarborough, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr M. McGOWAN : If it betrays Western
Australia on this matter, Western Australians will never forgive it.
Dr M.D. Nahan : They'll
never forgive Bill Shorten!
The SPEAKER : Leader of the
Opposition, your own member is on his feet and you are interjecting.
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