❓ The Premier defends WA's GST deal against criticism, highlighting its benefits and guaranteeing its security under the current government, while criticising the previous Liberal/National deal.
AnsweredQoN 3Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
GST DISTRIBUTION
3. Ms C.M. ROWE to the Premier:
I refer to WA's hard-fought
GST deal, which was achieved through the advocacy of the WA Labor government.
(1) Can the Premier outline to the house how the Cook
Labor government has secured this deal into the future?
(2) Is the Premier aware of anyone
trying to undermine WA's fair share?
3. Ms C.M. ROWE to the Premier:
I refer to WA's hard-fought
GST deal, which was achieved through the advocacy of the WA Labor government.
(1) Can the Premier outline to the house how the Cook
Labor government has secured this deal into the future?
(2) Is the Premier aware of anyone
trying to undermine WA's fair share?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) Let
me use my first proper question of the day to welcome everyone back to the
forty-first Parliament and to the last year of this Parliament sitting. Once
again, east coast commentators have been trying to drag down our fair share of
the GST. Those east coast commentators enjoy their comfortable lifestyle over
there thanks to the engine room of the nation's economy—Western
Australia. They are whipping up ways to try to dismantle WA's success
and our fair share of the GST. It is incredible that after everything the state
of Western Australia has done for this nation, those people are still trying to
bite the hand that feeds them. Those east coast commentators have no idea about
the realities of the Western Australian economy and WA's contribution
to the nation. Today we have a fair share of the GST. It is a deal that means
we get 70� back for every GST dollar. It has been breathtakingly labelled as
corrupt by some east coast commentators. Those same commentators attempt to
undermine WA's hard-fought success and our mining industry that delivers jobs and opportunities for all
Australians. If it were not for our determination , endeavour and great leadership, the resources boom
that we continue to enjoy would not have been enjoyed under those on the
other side. Their activities and commentary are undermining investment in
Australia and undermining not just Western Australian jobs, but also Australian
jobs.
I am happy to say that Western Australia's
share of the GST is guaranteed; it is locked in. That is a public guarantee, a written
guarantee and a national cabinet guarantee. It is a guarantee that Prime
Minister Anthony Albanese stands behind. This
agreement was achieved because of the relentless advocacy of this WA Labor
government. We know that the Liberal and National Parties locked us into a dud
of a GST deal. In 1998, former
Liberal leader Colin Barnett said that the GST would be great for Australia and Western Australia. He said in 2006 that the GST deal was sensible and a good
piece of economic reform for WA. However, under that deal, which the Liberals
and Nationals put together, our share of the GST would have fallen to 10� in
the dollar. That is what would have happened if not for the 2018 agreement
secured by the WA Labor government.
Those
commentators overlook a range of issues that I want to put on the record. For
the purposes of helping those
opposite, we are also educating those on the east coast. For instance, under
the fair share deal, WA will receive 70 per cent of its population share
of GST in 2023–24, which is still by far the lowest rate of all the
states. The next lowest state is Victoria, which will receive 92 per cent. No other
state would even contemplate the idea of
their share going down to 70 per cent. No state is worse off under the GST reforms.
Under the 2018 GST deal, WA has gifted more than $13 billion in GST to other
states and territories. We have sent $13 billion to the east coast in the past
five years. WA Treasury estimates that the cost to the commonwealth of the GST
reform is less than half of the increased company tax collections received by
the commonwealth as a result of our strong mining industry. Anything it loses
in GST it gains in company tax. Our successful export industry is the backbone
of the national economy. WA may have only 11 per cent of Australia's
population, but, members, we carry the nation.
Our GST deal is secure under my
government. East coast commentators can keep typing away on their keyboards,
sipping their chardonnays and choking on their foie gras, but nothing will get
between my government and our fair share of the GST. That is my guarantee,
because we will always do what is right for WA.
me use my first proper question of the day to welcome everyone back to the
forty-first Parliament and to the last year of this Parliament sitting. Once
again, east coast commentators have been trying to drag down our fair share of
the GST. Those east coast commentators enjoy their comfortable lifestyle over
there thanks to the engine room of the nation's economy—Western
Australia. They are whipping up ways to try to dismantle WA's success
and our fair share of the GST. It is incredible that after everything the state
of Western Australia has done for this nation, those people are still trying to
bite the hand that feeds them. Those east coast commentators have no idea about
the realities of the Western Australian economy and WA's contribution
to the nation. Today we have a fair share of the GST. It is a deal that means
we get 70� back for every GST dollar. It has been breathtakingly labelled as
corrupt by some east coast commentators. Those same commentators attempt to
undermine WA's hard-fought success and our mining industry that delivers jobs and opportunities for all
Australians. If it were not for our determination , endeavour and great leadership, the resources boom
that we continue to enjoy would not have been enjoyed under those on the
other side. Their activities and commentary are undermining investment in
Australia and undermining not just Western Australian jobs, but also Australian
jobs.
I am happy to say that Western Australia's
share of the GST is guaranteed; it is locked in. That is a public guarantee, a written
guarantee and a national cabinet guarantee. It is a guarantee that Prime
Minister Anthony Albanese stands behind. This
agreement was achieved because of the relentless advocacy of this WA Labor
government. We know that the Liberal and National Parties locked us into a dud
of a GST deal. In 1998, former
Liberal leader Colin Barnett said that the GST would be great for Australia and Western Australia. He said in 2006 that the GST deal was sensible and a good
piece of economic reform for WA. However, under that deal, which the Liberals
and Nationals put together, our share of the GST would have fallen to 10� in
the dollar. That is what would have happened if not for the 2018 agreement
secured by the WA Labor government.
Those
commentators overlook a range of issues that I want to put on the record. For
the purposes of helping those
opposite, we are also educating those on the east coast. For instance, under
the fair share deal, WA will receive 70 per cent of its population share
of GST in 2023–24, which is still by far the lowest rate of all the
states. The next lowest state is Victoria, which will receive 92 per cent. No other
state would even contemplate the idea of
their share going down to 70 per cent. No state is worse off under the GST reforms.
Under the 2018 GST deal, WA has gifted more than $13 billion in GST to other
states and territories. We have sent $13 billion to the east coast in the past
five years. WA Treasury estimates that the cost to the commonwealth of the GST
reform is less than half of the increased company tax collections received by
the commonwealth as a result of our strong mining industry. Anything it loses
in GST it gains in company tax. Our successful export industry is the backbone
of the national economy. WA may have only 11 per cent of Australia's
population, but, members, we carry the nation.
Our GST deal is secure under my
government. East coast commentators can keep typing away on their keyboards,
sipping their chardonnays and choking on their foie gras, but nothing will get
between my government and our fair share of the GST. That is my guarantee,
because we will always do what is right for WA.
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