❓ Opposition asks about the government's internal disagreements regarding the Prime Minister's GST floor proposal. The Leader of the House defends the alliance and the Prime Minister's actions, highlighting WA's unfair GST share.
AnsweredQoN 681Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
GOVERNMENT'S PERFORMANCE — MEMBER
FOR PILBARA'S COMMENTS
681. Hon SUE ELLERY to the Leader of the House
I am glad the Leader of the House is
very comfortable with his National Party colleagues.
Is the new Minister for Housing
right when he said yesterday that the Prime Minister's offer to
consider a floor on the GST is ''too little too late'' and will
benefit only New South Wales?
FOR PILBARA'S COMMENTS
681. Hon SUE ELLERY to the Leader of the House
I am glad the Leader of the House is
very comfortable with his National Party colleagues.
Is the new Minister for Housing
right when he said yesterday that the Prime Minister's offer to
consider a floor on the GST is ''too little too late'' and will
benefit only New South Wales?
AnswerView source ↗
What a great question time after a break.
This is fantastic! Once again, I think the Leader of the Opposition needs to
understand we are an alliance. That means that we do not blindly go along —
Several members interjected.
The
PRESIDENT : Order, members. You have had a bit of fun but when you ask a question,
you have to allow the Leader of the House to provide an answer and the old
adage applies: you might not agree with it, you might not like it, but you have
to hear it.
Hon PETER COLLIER : Thank you, Mr President.
As I said, in an alliance we are a team,
and in a team, sometimes there are disagreements.
Hon Sue Ellery : About whether you can win or not.
Hon PETER COLLIER : Each and every time we have risen
to the occasion. Do you know what? Fifty per cent plus one always beats 50 per
cent minus one. We have more than 50 per cent plus one on this side of the
chamber, so we do not mind having a little bit of banter every now and again.
With regard to the GST, what a great debate to have, and I think we might have
a bit more of it later on. At last we have a Prime Minister with the moral
fortitude to say that the system is knackered. The system as it exists is
completely and absolutely contrary to the benefit of all states in Australia.
For far too long, the other states and territories in this nation of ours have
bled Western Australia and we have haemorrhaged as a direct result of a problem
with the GST formula. At last we have a Prime Minister with the moral fortitude
to acknowledge the fact that the system is broken and he will do something
about it. He will provide Western Australia and the rest of the nation with a GST
floor to ensure we receive at least a set limit of GST and that Western Australia
does not get into the ridiculous situation it has at the moment whereby it
receives a return of 30c in the dollar. That is an absolute insult to the
founding fathers of this nation, who always worked towards the Federation
working cooperatively and collectively.
The Leader of the National Party is
entitled to his opinion. In any team there will always be differences of
opinion. Quite frankly, when it comes down to it, I have an abundance of
confidence in the fact that come 11 March 2017, we will work with our National
colleagues, and when the public of Western Australia look at the scoreboard to
see what we have achieved and what the Liberal Prime Minister will do to
provide certainty of GST in the future, the outcome will take care of itself
and that means we will still be sitting on this side of the chamber on 12 March
2017.
This is fantastic! Once again, I think the Leader of the Opposition needs to
understand we are an alliance. That means that we do not blindly go along —
Several members interjected.
The
PRESIDENT : Order, members. You have had a bit of fun but when you ask a question,
you have to allow the Leader of the House to provide an answer and the old
adage applies: you might not agree with it, you might not like it, but you have
to hear it.
Hon PETER COLLIER : Thank you, Mr President.
As I said, in an alliance we are a team,
and in a team, sometimes there are disagreements.
Hon Sue Ellery : About whether you can win or not.
Hon PETER COLLIER : Each and every time we have risen
to the occasion. Do you know what? Fifty per cent plus one always beats 50 per
cent minus one. We have more than 50 per cent plus one on this side of the
chamber, so we do not mind having a little bit of banter every now and again.
With regard to the GST, what a great debate to have, and I think we might have
a bit more of it later on. At last we have a Prime Minister with the moral
fortitude to say that the system is knackered. The system as it exists is
completely and absolutely contrary to the benefit of all states in Australia.
For far too long, the other states and territories in this nation of ours have
bled Western Australia and we have haemorrhaged as a direct result of a problem
with the GST formula. At last we have a Prime Minister with the moral fortitude
to acknowledge the fact that the system is broken and he will do something
about it. He will provide Western Australia and the rest of the nation with a GST
floor to ensure we receive at least a set limit of GST and that Western Australia
does not get into the ridiculous situation it has at the moment whereby it
receives a return of 30c in the dollar. That is an absolute insult to the
founding fathers of this nation, who always worked towards the Federation
working cooperatively and collectively.
The Leader of the National Party is
entitled to his opinion. In any team there will always be differences of
opinion. Quite frankly, when it comes down to it, I have an abundance of
confidence in the fact that come 11 March 2017, we will work with our National
colleagues, and when the public of Western Australia look at the scoreboard to
see what we have achieved and what the Liberal Prime Minister will do to
provide certainty of GST in the future, the outcome will take care of itself
and that means we will still be sitting on this side of the chamber on 12 March
2017.
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