❓ The WA Treasurer addresses concerns about the state's GST revenue allocation, highlighting the disparity between WA's contribution and return, and outlining strategies to advocate for a fairer share, including collaboration with Queensland. The Treasurer acknowledges previous government efforts and emphasizes the importance of GST revenue for WA's growing infrastructure demands.
AnsweredQoN 605Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
GOODS AND SERVICES TAX REVENUE — WESTERN AUSTRALIA’S ALLOCATION
Given that Western Australia is one of Australia’s biggest growth states, it is important that we receive our fair share of GST revenue to meet the demands placed on us by our population growth and the demands for economic infrastructure. Can the Treasurer update the house on how the government is working to ensure a fairer GST share for Western Australia to help meet these growing demands? Mr E.S. Ripper : Will you make that a bipartisan effort? Mr T.R. BUSWELL
Given that Western Australia is one of Australia’s biggest growth states, it is important that we receive our fair share of GST revenue to meet the demands placed on us by our population growth and the demands for economic infrastructure. Can the Treasurer update the house on how the government is working to ensure a fairer GST share for Western Australia to help meet these growing demands? Mr E.S. Ripper : Will you make that a bipartisan effort? Mr T.R. BUSWELL
AnswerView source ↗
I was just going to say that we are building on the work that the previous government started. Our Treasury is widely acknowledged across Australia as one of the leading centres of excellence and knowledge on these sorts of issues. I am sure the former Treasurer would acknowledge that. This is a major issue. It is an issue that causes a lot of concern for us. The Commonwealth Grants Commission is in the process of reviewing the methodologies it uses. Why is this important to Western Australia? I tell the Leader of the Opposition the sad news that since his time in government, the situation has become even bleaker. That is no fault of the government; it is just the fault of the royalty incomes we have enjoyed. I will share this with the house: if nothing changes by 2012-13, our estimate is that Western Australia, with 10 per cent of the nation’s population, will receive 5.4 per cent of the nation’s GST receipts. Mr M. McGowan : It was a bad deal. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : With all due respect to the member for Rockingham, I do not think anybody who was involved in the striking of the deal, as he put it, would have imagined that the parameters would have shifted to that extreme. In other words, for every dollar of goods and services tax that Western Australians pay from their hard-earned income, 54c, in a few years, will come back to Western Australia and 46c will be effectively siphoned off through the Commonwealth Grants Commission process to help prop up other Australian states. To look at it from another point of view and to make the absolute point, if we received our per capita share in the next four years, we would have $6.7 billion of additional revenue available to us. That is $6.7 billion of additional revenue to either pay down debt or to invest in social and/or economic structure. Our approach to this very important issue for Western Australians has been to build on the work of the former government and to build on the strong relationship that the Premier has with the Prime Minister. Mr C.J. Barnett interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : That close, is it, Premier? It always worries me a little bit. I often think I am at meetings of the Council of Australian Governments just to maintain a sense of reality around that relationship, Premier, but what happens behind closed doors stays behind closed doors! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : We all live in hope! The Prime Minister is that close to the Premier that we were discussing Carnaby’s black cockatoos, which are occasionally a curse to development in Western Australia. The Prime Minister termed them Barnaby’s black cockatoos instead of Carnaby’s. We move on. We are working very closely now, particularly with the state of Queensland, which faces similar challenges to Western Australia. The Grants Commission review is positive for Western Australia and at long last begins to recognise our unique challenges to provide infrastructure, especially in remote and regional areas. The Grants Commission process will be beneficial to Western Australia but it is under attack from state governments, in particular New South Wales. Therefore, our strategy has been to work very closely with Queensland. Members may have seen a joint press release—one of the few I have ever seen—from me, as the Treasurer of Western Australia, and Hon Andrew Fraser, the Treasurer of Queensland, mounting what I consider to be a vigorous and well-thought-out argument to defend our GST share against New South Wales. As I close, the argument in a nutshell is that as Australia begins to grow again economically, the economic engine room that will drive that growth will be Western Australia and Queensland. It is in the national interest to invest in economic and social infrastructure in those states. It is a simple argument. It is not necessarily an argument about Western Australia; it is an argument about the best long-term outcome for our nation.
Mr E.S. Ripper : Will you make that a bipartisan effort? Mr T.R. BUSWELL replied: I was just going to say that we are building on the work that the previous government started. Our Treasury is widely acknowledged across Australia as one of the leading centres of excellence and knowledge on these sorts of issues. I am sure the former Treasurer would acknowledge that. This is a major issue. It is an issue that causes a lot of concern for us. The Commonwealth Grants Commission is in the process of reviewing the methodologies it uses. Why is this important to Western Australia? I tell the Leader of the Opposition the sad news that since his time in government, the situation has become even bleaker. That is no fault of the government; it is just the fault of the royalty incomes we have enjoyed. I will share this with the house: if nothing changes by 2012-13, our estimate is that Western Australia, with 10 per cent of the nation’s population, will receive 5.4 per cent of the nation’s GST receipts. Mr M. McGowan : It was a bad deal. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : With all due respect to the member for Rockingham, I do not think anybody who was involved in the striking of the deal, as he put it, would have imagined that the parameters would have shifted to that extreme. In other words, for every dollar of goods and services tax that Western Australians pay from their hard-earned income, 54c, in a few years, will come back to Western Australia and 46c will be effectively siphoned off through the Commonwealth Grants Commission process to help prop up other Australian states. To look at it from another point of view and to make the absolute point, if we received our per capita share in the next four years, we would have $6.7 billion of additional revenue available to us. That is $6.7 billion of additional revenue to either pay down debt or to invest in social and/or economic structure. Our approach to this very important issue for Western Australians has been to build on the work of the former government and to build on the strong relationship that the Premier has with the Prime Minister. Mr C.J. Barnett interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : That close, is it, Premier? It always worries me a little bit. I often think I am at meetings of the Council of Australian Governments just to maintain a sense of reality around that relationship, Premier, but what happens behind closed doors stays behind closed doors! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : We all live in hope! The Prime Minister is that close to the Premier that we were discussing Carnaby’s black cockatoos, which are occasionally a curse to development in Western Australia. The Prime Minister termed them Barnaby’s black cockatoos instead of Carnaby’s. We move on. We are working very closely now, particularly with the state of Queensland, which faces similar challenges to Western Australia. The Grants Commission review is positive for Western Australia and at long last begins to recognise our unique challenges to provide infrastructure, especially in remote and regional areas. The Grants Commission process will be beneficial to Western Australia but it is under attack from state governments, in particular New South Wales. Therefore, our strategy has been to work very closely with Queensland. Members may have seen a joint press release—one of the few I have ever seen—from me, as the Treasurer of Western Australia, and Hon Andrew Fraser, the Treasurer of Queensland, mounting what I consider to be a vigorous and well-thought-out argument to defend our GST share against New South Wales. As I close, the argument in a nutshell is that as Australia begins to grow again economically, the economic engine room that will drive that growth will be Western Australia and Queensland. It is in the national interest to invest in economic and social infrastructure in those states. It is a simple argument. It is not necessarily an argument about Western Australia; it is an argument about the best long-term outcome for our nation.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL replied: I was just going to say that we are building on the work that the previous government started. Our Treasury is widely acknowledged across Australia as one of the leading centres of excellence and knowledge on these sorts of issues. I am sure the former Treasurer would acknowledge that. This is a major issue. It is an issue that causes a lot of concern for us. The Commonwealth Grants Commission is in the process of reviewing the methodologies it uses. Why is this important to Western Australia? I tell the Leader of the Opposition the sad news that since his time in government, the situation has become even bleaker. That is no fault of the government; it is just the fault of the royalty incomes we have enjoyed. I will share this with the house: if nothing changes by 2012-13, our estimate is that Western Australia, with 10 per cent of the nation’s population, will receive 5.4 per cent of the nation’s GST receipts. Mr M. McGowan : It was a bad deal. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : With all due respect to the member for Rockingham, I do not think anybody who was involved in the striking of the deal, as he put it, would have imagined that the parameters would have shifted to that extreme. In other words, for every dollar of goods and services tax that Western Australians pay from their hard-earned income, 54c, in a few years, will come back to Western Australia and 46c will be effectively siphoned off through the Commonwealth Grants Commission process to help prop up other Australian states. To look at it from another point of view and to make the absolute point, if we received our per capita share in the next four years, we would have $6.7 billion of additional revenue available to us. That is $6.7 billion of additional revenue to either pay down debt or to invest in social and/or economic structure. Our approach to this very important issue for Western Australians has been to build on the work of the former government and to build on the strong relationship that the Premier has with the Prime Minister. Mr C.J. Barnett interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : That close, is it, Premier? It always worries me a little bit. I often think I am at meetings of the Council of Australian Governments just to maintain a sense of reality around that relationship, Premier, but what happens behind closed doors stays behind closed doors! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : We all live in hope! The Prime Minister is that close to the Premier that we were discussing Carnaby’s black cockatoos, which are occasionally a curse to development in Western Australia. The Prime Minister termed them Barnaby’s black cockatoos instead of Carnaby’s. We move on. We are working very closely now, particularly with the state of Queensland, which faces similar challenges to Western Australia. The Grants Commission review is positive for Western Australia and at long last begins to recognise our unique challenges to provide infrastructure, especially in remote and regional areas. The Grants Commission process will be beneficial to Western Australia but it is under attack from state governments, in particular New South Wales. Therefore, our strategy has been to work very closely with Queensland. Members may have seen a joint press release—one of the few I have ever seen—from me, as the Treasurer of Western Australia, and Hon Andrew Fraser, the Treasurer of Queensland, mounting what I consider to be a vigorous and well-thought-out argument to defend our GST share against New South Wales. As I close, the argument in a nutshell is that as Australia begins to grow again economically, the economic engine room that will drive that growth will be Western Australia and Queensland. It is in the national interest to invest in economic and social infrastructure in those states. It is a simple argument. It is not necessarily an argument about Western Australia; it is an argument about the best long-term outcome for our nation.
I was just going to say that we are building on the work that the previous government started. Our Treasury is widely acknowledged across Australia as one of the leading centres of excellence and knowledge on these sorts of issues. I am sure the former Treasurer would acknowledge that. This is a major issue. It is an issue that causes a lot of concern for us. The Commonwealth Grants Commission is in the process of reviewing the methodologies it uses. Why is this important to Western Australia? I tell the Leader of the Opposition the sad news that since his time in government, the situation has become even bleaker. That is no fault of the government; it is just the fault of the royalty incomes we have enjoyed. I will share this with the house: if nothing changes by 2012-13, our estimate is that Western Australia, with 10 per cent of the nation’s population, will receive 5.4 per cent of the nation’s GST receipts. Mr M. McGowan : It was a bad deal. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : With all due respect to the member for Rockingham, I do not think anybody who was involved in the striking of the deal, as he put it, would have imagined that the parameters would have shifted to that extreme. In other words, for every dollar of goods and services tax that Western Australians pay from their hard-earned income, 54c, in a few years, will come back to Western Australia and 46c will be effectively siphoned off through the Commonwealth Grants Commission process to help prop up other Australian states. To look at it from another point of view and to make the absolute point, if we received our per capita share in the next four years, we would have $6.7 billion of additional revenue available to us. That is $6.7 billion of additional revenue to either pay down debt or to invest in social and/or economic structure. Our approach to this very important issue for Western Australians has been to build on the work of the former government and to build on the strong relationship that the Premier has with the Prime Minister. Mr C.J. Barnett interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : That close, is it, Premier? It always worries me a little bit. I often think I am at meetings of the Council of Australian Governments just to maintain a sense of reality around that relationship, Premier, but what happens behind closed doors stays behind closed doors! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : We all live in hope! The Prime Minister is that close to the Premier that we were discussing Carnaby’s black cockatoos, which are occasionally a curse to development in Western Australia. The Prime Minister termed them Barnaby’s black cockatoos instead of Carnaby’s. We move on. We are working very closely now, particularly with the state of Queensland, which faces similar challenges to Western Australia. The Grants Commission review is positive for Western Australia and at long last begins to recognise our unique challenges to provide infrastructure, especially in remote and regional areas. The Grants Commission process will be beneficial to Western Australia but it is under attack from state governments, in particular New South Wales. Therefore, our strategy has been to work very closely with Queensland. Members may have seen a joint press release—one of the few I have ever seen—from me, as the Treasurer of Western Australia, and Hon Andrew Fraser, the Treasurer of Queensland, mounting what I consider to be a vigorous and well-thought-out argument to defend our GST share against New South Wales. As I close, the argument in a nutshell is that as Australia begins to grow again economically, the economic engine room that will drive that growth will be Western Australia and Queensland. It is in the national interest to invest in economic and social infrastructure in those states. It is a simple argument. It is not necessarily an argument about Western Australia; it is an argument about the best long-term outcome for our nation.
This is a major issue. It is an issue that causes a lot of concern for us. The Commonwealth Grants Commission is in the process of reviewing the methodologies it uses. Why is this important to Western Australia? I tell the Leader of the Opposition the sad news that since his time in government, the situation has become even bleaker. That is no fault of the government; it is just the fault of the royalty incomes we have enjoyed. I will share this with the house: if nothing changes by 2012-13, our estimate is that Western Australia, with 10 per cent of the nation’s population, will receive 5.4 per cent of the nation’s GST receipts. Mr M. McGowan : It was a bad deal. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : With all due respect to the member for Rockingham, I do not think anybody who was involved in the striking of the deal, as he put it, would have imagined that the parameters would have shifted to that extreme. In other words, for every dollar of goods and services tax that Western Australians pay from their hard-earned income, 54c, in a few years, will come back to Western Australia and 46c will be effectively siphoned off through the Commonwealth Grants Commission process to help prop up other Australian states. To look at it from another point of view and to make the absolute point, if we received our per capita share in the next four years, we would have $6.7 billion of additional revenue available to us. That is $6.7 billion of additional revenue to either pay down debt or to invest in social and/or economic structure. Our approach to this very important issue for Western Australians has been to build on the work of the former government and to build on the strong relationship that the Premier has with the Prime Minister. Mr C.J. Barnett interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : That close, is it, Premier? It always worries me a little bit. I often think I am at meetings of the Council of Australian Governments just to maintain a sense of reality around that relationship, Premier, but what happens behind closed doors stays behind closed doors! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : We all live in hope! The Prime Minister is that close to the Premier that we were discussing Carnaby’s black cockatoos, which are occasionally a curse to development in Western Australia. The Prime Minister termed them Barnaby’s black cockatoos instead of Carnaby’s. We move on. We are working very closely now, particularly with the state of Queensland, which faces similar challenges to Western Australia. The Grants Commission review is positive for Western Australia and at long last begins to recognise our unique challenges to provide infrastructure, especially in remote and regional areas. The Grants Commission process will be beneficial to Western Australia but it is under attack from state governments, in particular New South Wales. Therefore, our strategy has been to work very closely with Queensland. Members may have seen a joint press release—one of the few I have ever seen—from me, as the Treasurer of Western Australia, and Hon Andrew Fraser, the Treasurer of Queensland, mounting what I consider to be a vigorous and well-thought-out argument to defend our GST share against New South Wales. As I close, the argument in a nutshell is that as Australia begins to grow again economically, the economic engine room that will drive that growth will be Western Australia and Queensland. It is in the national interest to invest in economic and social infrastructure in those states. It is a simple argument. It is not necessarily an argument about Western Australia; it is an argument about the best long-term outcome for our nation.
Mr M. McGowan : It was a bad deal. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : With all due respect to the member for Rockingham, I do not think anybody who was involved in the striking of the deal, as he put it, would have imagined that the parameters would have shifted to that extreme. In other words, for every dollar of goods and services tax that Western Australians pay from their hard-earned income, 54c, in a few years, will come back to Western Australia and 46c will be effectively siphoned off through the Commonwealth Grants Commission process to help prop up other Australian states. To look at it from another point of view and to make the absolute point, if we received our per capita share in the next four years, we would have $6.7 billion of additional revenue available to us. That is $6.7 billion of additional revenue to either pay down debt or to invest in social and/or economic structure. Our approach to this very important issue for Western Australians has been to build on the work of the former government and to build on the strong relationship that the Premier has with the Prime Minister. Mr C.J. Barnett interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : That close, is it, Premier? It always worries me a little bit. I often think I am at meetings of the Council of Australian Governments just to maintain a sense of reality around that relationship, Premier, but what happens behind closed doors stays behind closed doors! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : We all live in hope! The Prime Minister is that close to the Premier that we were discussing Carnaby’s black cockatoos, which are occasionally a curse to development in Western Australia. The Prime Minister termed them Barnaby’s black cockatoos instead of Carnaby’s. We move on. We are working very closely now, particularly with the state of Queensland, which faces similar challenges to Western Australia. The Grants Commission review is positive for Western Australia and at long last begins to recognise our unique challenges to provide infrastructure, especially in remote and regional areas. The Grants Commission process will be beneficial to Western Australia but it is under attack from state governments, in particular New South Wales. Therefore, our strategy has been to work very closely with Queensland. Members may have seen a joint press release—one of the few I have ever seen—from me, as the Treasurer of Western Australia, and Hon Andrew Fraser, the Treasurer of Queensland, mounting what I consider to be a vigorous and well-thought-out argument to defend our GST share against New South Wales. As I close, the argument in a nutshell is that as Australia begins to grow again economically, the economic engine room that will drive that growth will be Western Australia and Queensland. It is in the national interest to invest in economic and social infrastructure in those states. It is a simple argument. It is not necessarily an argument about Western Australia; it is an argument about the best long-term outcome for our nation.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : With all due respect to the member for Rockingham, I do not think anybody who was involved in the striking of the deal, as he put it, would have imagined that the parameters would have shifted to that extreme. In other words, for every dollar of goods and services tax that Western Australians pay from their hard-earned income, 54c, in a few years, will come back to Western Australia and 46c will be effectively siphoned off through the Commonwealth Grants Commission process to help prop up other Australian states. To look at it from another point of view and to make the absolute point, if we received our per capita share in the next four years, we would have $6.7 billion of additional revenue available to us. That is $6.7 billion of additional revenue to either pay down debt or to invest in social and/or economic structure. Our approach to this very important issue for Western Australians has been to build on the work of the former government and to build on the strong relationship that the Premier has with the Prime Minister. Mr C.J. Barnett interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : That close, is it, Premier? It always worries me a little bit. I often think I am at meetings of the Council of Australian Governments just to maintain a sense of reality around that relationship, Premier, but what happens behind closed doors stays behind closed doors! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : We all live in hope! The Prime Minister is that close to the Premier that we were discussing Carnaby’s black cockatoos, which are occasionally a curse to development in Western Australia. The Prime Minister termed them Barnaby’s black cockatoos instead of Carnaby’s. We move on. We are working very closely now, particularly with the state of Queensland, which faces similar challenges to Western Australia. The Grants Commission review is positive for Western Australia and at long last begins to recognise our unique challenges to provide infrastructure, especially in remote and regional areas. The Grants Commission process will be beneficial to Western Australia but it is under attack from state governments, in particular New South Wales. Therefore, our strategy has been to work very closely with Queensland. Members may have seen a joint press release—one of the few I have ever seen—from me, as the Treasurer of Western Australia, and Hon Andrew Fraser, the Treasurer of Queensland, mounting what I consider to be a vigorous and well-thought-out argument to defend our GST share against New South Wales. As I close, the argument in a nutshell is that as Australia begins to grow again economically, the economic engine room that will drive that growth will be Western Australia and Queensland. It is in the national interest to invest in economic and social infrastructure in those states. It is a simple argument. It is not necessarily an argument about Western Australia; it is an argument about the best long-term outcome for our nation.
To look at it from another point of view and to make the absolute point, if we received our per capita share in the next four years, we would have $6.7 billion of additional revenue available to us. That is $6.7 billion of additional revenue to either pay down debt or to invest in social and/or economic structure. Our approach to this very important issue for Western Australians has been to build on the work of the former government and to build on the strong relationship that the Premier has with the Prime Minister. Mr C.J. Barnett interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : That close, is it, Premier? It always worries me a little bit. I often think I am at meetings of the Council of Australian Governments just to maintain a sense of reality around that relationship, Premier, but what happens behind closed doors stays behind closed doors! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : We all live in hope! The Prime Minister is that close to the Premier that we were discussing Carnaby’s black cockatoos, which are occasionally a curse to development in Western Australia. The Prime Minister termed them Barnaby’s black cockatoos instead of Carnaby’s. We move on. We are working very closely now, particularly with the state of Queensland, which faces similar challenges to Western Australia. The Grants Commission review is positive for Western Australia and at long last begins to recognise our unique challenges to provide infrastructure, especially in remote and regional areas. The Grants Commission process will be beneficial to Western Australia but it is under attack from state governments, in particular New South Wales. Therefore, our strategy has been to work very closely with Queensland. Members may have seen a joint press release—one of the few I have ever seen—from me, as the Treasurer of Western Australia, and Hon Andrew Fraser, the Treasurer of Queensland, mounting what I consider to be a vigorous and well-thought-out argument to defend our GST share against New South Wales. As I close, the argument in a nutshell is that as Australia begins to grow again economically, the economic engine room that will drive that growth will be Western Australia and Queensland. It is in the national interest to invest in economic and social infrastructure in those states. It is a simple argument. It is not necessarily an argument about Western Australia; it is an argument about the best long-term outcome for our nation.
Mr C.J. Barnett interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : That close, is it, Premier? It always worries me a little bit. I often think I am at meetings of the Council of Australian Governments just to maintain a sense of reality around that relationship, Premier, but what happens behind closed doors stays behind closed doors! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : We all live in hope! The Prime Minister is that close to the Premier that we were discussing Carnaby’s black cockatoos, which are occasionally a curse to development in Western Australia. The Prime Minister termed them Barnaby’s black cockatoos instead of Carnaby’s. We move on. We are working very closely now, particularly with the state of Queensland, which faces similar challenges to Western Australia. The Grants Commission review is positive for Western Australia and at long last begins to recognise our unique challenges to provide infrastructure, especially in remote and regional areas. The Grants Commission process will be beneficial to Western Australia but it is under attack from state governments, in particular New South Wales. Therefore, our strategy has been to work very closely with Queensland. Members may have seen a joint press release—one of the few I have ever seen—from me, as the Treasurer of Western Australia, and Hon Andrew Fraser, the Treasurer of Queensland, mounting what I consider to be a vigorous and well-thought-out argument to defend our GST share against New South Wales. As I close, the argument in a nutshell is that as Australia begins to grow again economically, the economic engine room that will drive that growth will be Western Australia and Queensland. It is in the national interest to invest in economic and social infrastructure in those states. It is a simple argument. It is not necessarily an argument about Western Australia; it is an argument about the best long-term outcome for our nation.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : That close, is it, Premier? It always worries me a little bit. I often think I am at meetings of the Council of Australian Governments just to maintain a sense of reality around that relationship, Premier, but what happens behind closed doors stays behind closed doors! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : We all live in hope! The Prime Minister is that close to the Premier that we were discussing Carnaby’s black cockatoos, which are occasionally a curse to development in Western Australia. The Prime Minister termed them Barnaby’s black cockatoos instead of Carnaby’s. We move on. We are working very closely now, particularly with the state of Queensland, which faces similar challenges to Western Australia. The Grants Commission review is positive for Western Australia and at long last begins to recognise our unique challenges to provide infrastructure, especially in remote and regional areas. The Grants Commission process will be beneficial to Western Australia but it is under attack from state governments, in particular New South Wales. Therefore, our strategy has been to work very closely with Queensland. Members may have seen a joint press release—one of the few I have ever seen—from me, as the Treasurer of Western Australia, and Hon Andrew Fraser, the Treasurer of Queensland, mounting what I consider to be a vigorous and well-thought-out argument to defend our GST share against New South Wales. As I close, the argument in a nutshell is that as Australia begins to grow again economically, the economic engine room that will drive that growth will be Western Australia and Queensland. It is in the national interest to invest in economic and social infrastructure in those states. It is a simple argument. It is not necessarily an argument about Western Australia; it is an argument about the best long-term outcome for our nation.
Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : We all live in hope! The Prime Minister is that close to the Premier that we were discussing Carnaby’s black cockatoos, which are occasionally a curse to development in Western Australia. The Prime Minister termed them Barnaby’s black cockatoos instead of Carnaby’s. We move on. We are working very closely now, particularly with the state of Queensland, which faces similar challenges to Western Australia. The Grants Commission review is positive for Western Australia and at long last begins to recognise our unique challenges to provide infrastructure, especially in remote and regional areas. The Grants Commission process will be beneficial to Western Australia but it is under attack from state governments, in particular New South Wales. Therefore, our strategy has been to work very closely with Queensland. Members may have seen a joint press release—one of the few I have ever seen—from me, as the Treasurer of Western Australia, and Hon Andrew Fraser, the Treasurer of Queensland, mounting what I consider to be a vigorous and well-thought-out argument to defend our GST share against New South Wales. As I close, the argument in a nutshell is that as Australia begins to grow again economically, the economic engine room that will drive that growth will be Western Australia and Queensland. It is in the national interest to invest in economic and social infrastructure in those states. It is a simple argument. It is not necessarily an argument about Western Australia; it is an argument about the best long-term outcome for our nation.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : We all live in hope! The Prime Minister is that close to the Premier that we were discussing Carnaby’s black cockatoos, which are occasionally a curse to development in Western Australia. The Prime Minister termed them Barnaby’s black cockatoos instead of Carnaby’s. We move on. We are working very closely now, particularly with the state of Queensland, which faces similar challenges to Western Australia. The Grants Commission review is positive for Western Australia and at long last begins to recognise our unique challenges to provide infrastructure, especially in remote and regional areas. The Grants Commission process will be beneficial to Western Australia but it is under attack from state governments, in particular New South Wales. Therefore, our strategy has been to work very closely with Queensland. Members may have seen a joint press release—one of the few I have ever seen—from me, as the Treasurer of Western Australia, and Hon Andrew Fraser, the Treasurer of Queensland, mounting what I consider to be a vigorous and well-thought-out argument to defend our GST share against New South Wales. As I close, the argument in a nutshell is that as Australia begins to grow again economically, the economic engine room that will drive that growth will be Western Australia and Queensland. It is in the national interest to invest in economic and social infrastructure in those states. It is a simple argument. It is not necessarily an argument about Western Australia; it is an argument about the best long-term outcome for our nation.
We are working very closely now, particularly with the state of Queensland, which faces similar challenges to Western Australia. The Grants Commission review is positive for Western Australia and at long last begins to recognise our unique challenges to provide infrastructure, especially in remote and regional areas. The Grants Commission process will be beneficial to Western Australia but it is under attack from state governments, in particular New South Wales. Therefore, our strategy has been to work very closely with Queensland. Members may have seen a joint press release—one of the few I have ever seen—from me, as the Treasurer of Western Australia, and Hon Andrew Fraser, the Treasurer of Queensland, mounting what I consider to be a vigorous and well-thought-out argument to defend our GST share against New South Wales. As I close, the argument in a nutshell is that as Australia begins to grow again economically, the economic engine room that will drive that growth will be Western Australia and Queensland. It is in the national interest to invest in economic and social infrastructure in those states. It is a simple argument. It is not necessarily an argument about Western Australia; it is an argument about the best long-term outcome for our nation.
As I close, the argument in a nutshell is that as Australia begins to grow again economically, the economic engine room that will drive that growth will be Western Australia and Queensland. It is in the national interest to invest in economic and social infrastructure in those states. It is a simple argument. It is not necessarily an argument about Western Australia; it is an argument about the best long-term outcome for our nation.
Mr E.S. Ripper : Will you make that a bipartisan effort? Mr T.R. BUSWELL replied: I was just going to say that we are building on the work that the previous government started. Our Treasury is widely acknowledged across Australia as one of the leading centres of excellence and knowledge on these sorts of issues. I am sure the former Treasurer would acknowledge that. This is a major issue. It is an issue that causes a lot of concern for us. The Commonwealth Grants Commission is in the process of reviewing the methodologies it uses. Why is this important to Western Australia? I tell the Leader of the Opposition the sad news that since his time in government, the situation has become even bleaker. That is no fault of the government; it is just the fault of the royalty incomes we have enjoyed. I will share this with the house: if nothing changes by 2012-13, our estimate is that Western Australia, with 10 per cent of the nation’s population, will receive 5.4 per cent of the nation’s GST receipts. Mr M. McGowan : It was a bad deal. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : With all due respect to the member for Rockingham, I do not think anybody who was involved in the striking of the deal, as he put it, would have imagined that the parameters would have shifted to that extreme. In other words, for every dollar of goods and services tax that Western Australians pay from their hard-earned income, 54c, in a few years, will come back to Western Australia and 46c will be effectively siphoned off through the Commonwealth Grants Commission process to help prop up other Australian states. To look at it from another point of view and to make the absolute point, if we received our per capita share in the next four years, we would have $6.7 billion of additional revenue available to us. That is $6.7 billion of additional revenue to either pay down debt or to invest in social and/or economic structure. Our approach to this very important issue for Western Australians has been to build on the work of the former government and to build on the strong relationship that the Premier has with the Prime Minister. Mr C.J. Barnett interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : That close, is it, Premier? It always worries me a little bit. I often think I am at meetings of the Council of Australian Governments just to maintain a sense of reality around that relationship, Premier, but what happens behind closed doors stays behind closed doors! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : We all live in hope! The Prime Minister is that close to the Premier that we were discussing Carnaby’s black cockatoos, which are occasionally a curse to development in Western Australia. The Prime Minister termed them Barnaby’s black cockatoos instead of Carnaby’s. We move on. We are working very closely now, particularly with the state of Queensland, which faces similar challenges to Western Australia. The Grants Commission review is positive for Western Australia and at long last begins to recognise our unique challenges to provide infrastructure, especially in remote and regional areas. The Grants Commission process will be beneficial to Western Australia but it is under attack from state governments, in particular New South Wales. Therefore, our strategy has been to work very closely with Queensland. Members may have seen a joint press release—one of the few I have ever seen—from me, as the Treasurer of Western Australia, and Hon Andrew Fraser, the Treasurer of Queensland, mounting what I consider to be a vigorous and well-thought-out argument to defend our GST share against New South Wales. As I close, the argument in a nutshell is that as Australia begins to grow again economically, the economic engine room that will drive that growth will be Western Australia and Queensland. It is in the national interest to invest in economic and social infrastructure in those states. It is a simple argument. It is not necessarily an argument about Western Australia; it is an argument about the best long-term outcome for our nation.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL replied: I was just going to say that we are building on the work that the previous government started. Our Treasury is widely acknowledged across Australia as one of the leading centres of excellence and knowledge on these sorts of issues. I am sure the former Treasurer would acknowledge that. This is a major issue. It is an issue that causes a lot of concern for us. The Commonwealth Grants Commission is in the process of reviewing the methodologies it uses. Why is this important to Western Australia? I tell the Leader of the Opposition the sad news that since his time in government, the situation has become even bleaker. That is no fault of the government; it is just the fault of the royalty incomes we have enjoyed. I will share this with the house: if nothing changes by 2012-13, our estimate is that Western Australia, with 10 per cent of the nation’s population, will receive 5.4 per cent of the nation’s GST receipts. Mr M. McGowan : It was a bad deal. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : With all due respect to the member for Rockingham, I do not think anybody who was involved in the striking of the deal, as he put it, would have imagined that the parameters would have shifted to that extreme. In other words, for every dollar of goods and services tax that Western Australians pay from their hard-earned income, 54c, in a few years, will come back to Western Australia and 46c will be effectively siphoned off through the Commonwealth Grants Commission process to help prop up other Australian states. To look at it from another point of view and to make the absolute point, if we received our per capita share in the next four years, we would have $6.7 billion of additional revenue available to us. That is $6.7 billion of additional revenue to either pay down debt or to invest in social and/or economic structure. Our approach to this very important issue for Western Australians has been to build on the work of the former government and to build on the strong relationship that the Premier has with the Prime Minister. Mr C.J. Barnett interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : That close, is it, Premier? It always worries me a little bit. I often think I am at meetings of the Council of Australian Governments just to maintain a sense of reality around that relationship, Premier, but what happens behind closed doors stays behind closed doors! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : We all live in hope! The Prime Minister is that close to the Premier that we were discussing Carnaby’s black cockatoos, which are occasionally a curse to development in Western Australia. The Prime Minister termed them Barnaby’s black cockatoos instead of Carnaby’s. We move on. We are working very closely now, particularly with the state of Queensland, which faces similar challenges to Western Australia. The Grants Commission review is positive for Western Australia and at long last begins to recognise our unique challenges to provide infrastructure, especially in remote and regional areas. The Grants Commission process will be beneficial to Western Australia but it is under attack from state governments, in particular New South Wales. Therefore, our strategy has been to work very closely with Queensland. Members may have seen a joint press release—one of the few I have ever seen—from me, as the Treasurer of Western Australia, and Hon Andrew Fraser, the Treasurer of Queensland, mounting what I consider to be a vigorous and well-thought-out argument to defend our GST share against New South Wales. As I close, the argument in a nutshell is that as Australia begins to grow again economically, the economic engine room that will drive that growth will be Western Australia and Queensland. It is in the national interest to invest in economic and social infrastructure in those states. It is a simple argument. It is not necessarily an argument about Western Australia; it is an argument about the best long-term outcome for our nation.
I was just going to say that we are building on the work that the previous government started. Our Treasury is widely acknowledged across Australia as one of the leading centres of excellence and knowledge on these sorts of issues. I am sure the former Treasurer would acknowledge that. This is a major issue. It is an issue that causes a lot of concern for us. The Commonwealth Grants Commission is in the process of reviewing the methodologies it uses. Why is this important to Western Australia? I tell the Leader of the Opposition the sad news that since his time in government, the situation has become even bleaker. That is no fault of the government; it is just the fault of the royalty incomes we have enjoyed. I will share this with the house: if nothing changes by 2012-13, our estimate is that Western Australia, with 10 per cent of the nation’s population, will receive 5.4 per cent of the nation’s GST receipts. Mr M. McGowan : It was a bad deal. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : With all due respect to the member for Rockingham, I do not think anybody who was involved in the striking of the deal, as he put it, would have imagined that the parameters would have shifted to that extreme. In other words, for every dollar of goods and services tax that Western Australians pay from their hard-earned income, 54c, in a few years, will come back to Western Australia and 46c will be effectively siphoned off through the Commonwealth Grants Commission process to help prop up other Australian states. To look at it from another point of view and to make the absolute point, if we received our per capita share in the next four years, we would have $6.7 billion of additional revenue available to us. That is $6.7 billion of additional revenue to either pay down debt or to invest in social and/or economic structure. Our approach to this very important issue for Western Australians has been to build on the work of the former government and to build on the strong relationship that the Premier has with the Prime Minister. Mr C.J. Barnett interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : That close, is it, Premier? It always worries me a little bit. I often think I am at meetings of the Council of Australian Governments just to maintain a sense of reality around that relationship, Premier, but what happens behind closed doors stays behind closed doors! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : We all live in hope! The Prime Minister is that close to the Premier that we were discussing Carnaby’s black cockatoos, which are occasionally a curse to development in Western Australia. The Prime Minister termed them Barnaby’s black cockatoos instead of Carnaby’s. We move on. We are working very closely now, particularly with the state of Queensland, which faces similar challenges to Western Australia. The Grants Commission review is positive for Western Australia and at long last begins to recognise our unique challenges to provide infrastructure, especially in remote and regional areas. The Grants Commission process will be beneficial to Western Australia but it is under attack from state governments, in particular New South Wales. Therefore, our strategy has been to work very closely with Queensland. Members may have seen a joint press release—one of the few I have ever seen—from me, as the Treasurer of Western Australia, and Hon Andrew Fraser, the Treasurer of Queensland, mounting what I consider to be a vigorous and well-thought-out argument to defend our GST share against New South Wales. As I close, the argument in a nutshell is that as Australia begins to grow again economically, the economic engine room that will drive that growth will be Western Australia and Queensland. It is in the national interest to invest in economic and social infrastructure in those states. It is a simple argument. It is not necessarily an argument about Western Australia; it is an argument about the best long-term outcome for our nation.
This is a major issue. It is an issue that causes a lot of concern for us. The Commonwealth Grants Commission is in the process of reviewing the methodologies it uses. Why is this important to Western Australia? I tell the Leader of the Opposition the sad news that since his time in government, the situation has become even bleaker. That is no fault of the government; it is just the fault of the royalty incomes we have enjoyed. I will share this with the house: if nothing changes by 2012-13, our estimate is that Western Australia, with 10 per cent of the nation’s population, will receive 5.4 per cent of the nation’s GST receipts. Mr M. McGowan : It was a bad deal. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : With all due respect to the member for Rockingham, I do not think anybody who was involved in the striking of the deal, as he put it, would have imagined that the parameters would have shifted to that extreme. In other words, for every dollar of goods and services tax that Western Australians pay from their hard-earned income, 54c, in a few years, will come back to Western Australia and 46c will be effectively siphoned off through the Commonwealth Grants Commission process to help prop up other Australian states. To look at it from another point of view and to make the absolute point, if we received our per capita share in the next four years, we would have $6.7 billion of additional revenue available to us. That is $6.7 billion of additional revenue to either pay down debt or to invest in social and/or economic structure. Our approach to this very important issue for Western Australians has been to build on the work of the former government and to build on the strong relationship that the Premier has with the Prime Minister. Mr C.J. Barnett interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : That close, is it, Premier? It always worries me a little bit. I often think I am at meetings of the Council of Australian Governments just to maintain a sense of reality around that relationship, Premier, but what happens behind closed doors stays behind closed doors! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : We all live in hope! The Prime Minister is that close to the Premier that we were discussing Carnaby’s black cockatoos, which are occasionally a curse to development in Western Australia. The Prime Minister termed them Barnaby’s black cockatoos instead of Carnaby’s. We move on. We are working very closely now, particularly with the state of Queensland, which faces similar challenges to Western Australia. The Grants Commission review is positive for Western Australia and at long last begins to recognise our unique challenges to provide infrastructure, especially in remote and regional areas. The Grants Commission process will be beneficial to Western Australia but it is under attack from state governments, in particular New South Wales. Therefore, our strategy has been to work very closely with Queensland. Members may have seen a joint press release—one of the few I have ever seen—from me, as the Treasurer of Western Australia, and Hon Andrew Fraser, the Treasurer of Queensland, mounting what I consider to be a vigorous and well-thought-out argument to defend our GST share against New South Wales. As I close, the argument in a nutshell is that as Australia begins to grow again economically, the economic engine room that will drive that growth will be Western Australia and Queensland. It is in the national interest to invest in economic and social infrastructure in those states. It is a simple argument. It is not necessarily an argument about Western Australia; it is an argument about the best long-term outcome for our nation.
Mr M. McGowan : It was a bad deal. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : With all due respect to the member for Rockingham, I do not think anybody who was involved in the striking of the deal, as he put it, would have imagined that the parameters would have shifted to that extreme. In other words, for every dollar of goods and services tax that Western Australians pay from their hard-earned income, 54c, in a few years, will come back to Western Australia and 46c will be effectively siphoned off through the Commonwealth Grants Commission process to help prop up other Australian states. To look at it from another point of view and to make the absolute point, if we received our per capita share in the next four years, we would have $6.7 billion of additional revenue available to us. That is $6.7 billion of additional revenue to either pay down debt or to invest in social and/or economic structure. Our approach to this very important issue for Western Australians has been to build on the work of the former government and to build on the strong relationship that the Premier has with the Prime Minister. Mr C.J. Barnett interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : That close, is it, Premier? It always worries me a little bit. I often think I am at meetings of the Council of Australian Governments just to maintain a sense of reality around that relationship, Premier, but what happens behind closed doors stays behind closed doors! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : We all live in hope! The Prime Minister is that close to the Premier that we were discussing Carnaby’s black cockatoos, which are occasionally a curse to development in Western Australia. The Prime Minister termed them Barnaby’s black cockatoos instead of Carnaby’s. We move on. We are working very closely now, particularly with the state of Queensland, which faces similar challenges to Western Australia. The Grants Commission review is positive for Western Australia and at long last begins to recognise our unique challenges to provide infrastructure, especially in remote and regional areas. The Grants Commission process will be beneficial to Western Australia but it is under attack from state governments, in particular New South Wales. Therefore, our strategy has been to work very closely with Queensland. Members may have seen a joint press release—one of the few I have ever seen—from me, as the Treasurer of Western Australia, and Hon Andrew Fraser, the Treasurer of Queensland, mounting what I consider to be a vigorous and well-thought-out argument to defend our GST share against New South Wales. As I close, the argument in a nutshell is that as Australia begins to grow again economically, the economic engine room that will drive that growth will be Western Australia and Queensland. It is in the national interest to invest in economic and social infrastructure in those states. It is a simple argument. It is not necessarily an argument about Western Australia; it is an argument about the best long-term outcome for our nation.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : With all due respect to the member for Rockingham, I do not think anybody who was involved in the striking of the deal, as he put it, would have imagined that the parameters would have shifted to that extreme. In other words, for every dollar of goods and services tax that Western Australians pay from their hard-earned income, 54c, in a few years, will come back to Western Australia and 46c will be effectively siphoned off through the Commonwealth Grants Commission process to help prop up other Australian states. To look at it from another point of view and to make the absolute point, if we received our per capita share in the next four years, we would have $6.7 billion of additional revenue available to us. That is $6.7 billion of additional revenue to either pay down debt or to invest in social and/or economic structure. Our approach to this very important issue for Western Australians has been to build on the work of the former government and to build on the strong relationship that the Premier has with the Prime Minister. Mr C.J. Barnett interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : That close, is it, Premier? It always worries me a little bit. I often think I am at meetings of the Council of Australian Governments just to maintain a sense of reality around that relationship, Premier, but what happens behind closed doors stays behind closed doors! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : We all live in hope! The Prime Minister is that close to the Premier that we were discussing Carnaby’s black cockatoos, which are occasionally a curse to development in Western Australia. The Prime Minister termed them Barnaby’s black cockatoos instead of Carnaby’s. We move on. We are working very closely now, particularly with the state of Queensland, which faces similar challenges to Western Australia. The Grants Commission review is positive for Western Australia and at long last begins to recognise our unique challenges to provide infrastructure, especially in remote and regional areas. The Grants Commission process will be beneficial to Western Australia but it is under attack from state governments, in particular New South Wales. Therefore, our strategy has been to work very closely with Queensland. Members may have seen a joint press release—one of the few I have ever seen—from me, as the Treasurer of Western Australia, and Hon Andrew Fraser, the Treasurer of Queensland, mounting what I consider to be a vigorous and well-thought-out argument to defend our GST share against New South Wales. As I close, the argument in a nutshell is that as Australia begins to grow again economically, the economic engine room that will drive that growth will be Western Australia and Queensland. It is in the national interest to invest in economic and social infrastructure in those states. It is a simple argument. It is not necessarily an argument about Western Australia; it is an argument about the best long-term outcome for our nation.
To look at it from another point of view and to make the absolute point, if we received our per capita share in the next four years, we would have $6.7 billion of additional revenue available to us. That is $6.7 billion of additional revenue to either pay down debt or to invest in social and/or economic structure. Our approach to this very important issue for Western Australians has been to build on the work of the former government and to build on the strong relationship that the Premier has with the Prime Minister. Mr C.J. Barnett interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : That close, is it, Premier? It always worries me a little bit. I often think I am at meetings of the Council of Australian Governments just to maintain a sense of reality around that relationship, Premier, but what happens behind closed doors stays behind closed doors! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : We all live in hope! The Prime Minister is that close to the Premier that we were discussing Carnaby’s black cockatoos, which are occasionally a curse to development in Western Australia. The Prime Minister termed them Barnaby’s black cockatoos instead of Carnaby’s. We move on. We are working very closely now, particularly with the state of Queensland, which faces similar challenges to Western Australia. The Grants Commission review is positive for Western Australia and at long last begins to recognise our unique challenges to provide infrastructure, especially in remote and regional areas. The Grants Commission process will be beneficial to Western Australia but it is under attack from state governments, in particular New South Wales. Therefore, our strategy has been to work very closely with Queensland. Members may have seen a joint press release—one of the few I have ever seen—from me, as the Treasurer of Western Australia, and Hon Andrew Fraser, the Treasurer of Queensland, mounting what I consider to be a vigorous and well-thought-out argument to defend our GST share against New South Wales. As I close, the argument in a nutshell is that as Australia begins to grow again economically, the economic engine room that will drive that growth will be Western Australia and Queensland. It is in the national interest to invest in economic and social infrastructure in those states. It is a simple argument. It is not necessarily an argument about Western Australia; it is an argument about the best long-term outcome for our nation.
Mr C.J. Barnett interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : That close, is it, Premier? It always worries me a little bit. I often think I am at meetings of the Council of Australian Governments just to maintain a sense of reality around that relationship, Premier, but what happens behind closed doors stays behind closed doors! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : We all live in hope! The Prime Minister is that close to the Premier that we were discussing Carnaby’s black cockatoos, which are occasionally a curse to development in Western Australia. The Prime Minister termed them Barnaby’s black cockatoos instead of Carnaby’s. We move on. We are working very closely now, particularly with the state of Queensland, which faces similar challenges to Western Australia. The Grants Commission review is positive for Western Australia and at long last begins to recognise our unique challenges to provide infrastructure, especially in remote and regional areas. The Grants Commission process will be beneficial to Western Australia but it is under attack from state governments, in particular New South Wales. Therefore, our strategy has been to work very closely with Queensland. Members may have seen a joint press release—one of the few I have ever seen—from me, as the Treasurer of Western Australia, and Hon Andrew Fraser, the Treasurer of Queensland, mounting what I consider to be a vigorous and well-thought-out argument to defend our GST share against New South Wales. As I close, the argument in a nutshell is that as Australia begins to grow again economically, the economic engine room that will drive that growth will be Western Australia and Queensland. It is in the national interest to invest in economic and social infrastructure in those states. It is a simple argument. It is not necessarily an argument about Western Australia; it is an argument about the best long-term outcome for our nation.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : That close, is it, Premier? It always worries me a little bit. I often think I am at meetings of the Council of Australian Governments just to maintain a sense of reality around that relationship, Premier, but what happens behind closed doors stays behind closed doors! Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : We all live in hope! The Prime Minister is that close to the Premier that we were discussing Carnaby’s black cockatoos, which are occasionally a curse to development in Western Australia. The Prime Minister termed them Barnaby’s black cockatoos instead of Carnaby’s. We move on. We are working very closely now, particularly with the state of Queensland, which faces similar challenges to Western Australia. The Grants Commission review is positive for Western Australia and at long last begins to recognise our unique challenges to provide infrastructure, especially in remote and regional areas. The Grants Commission process will be beneficial to Western Australia but it is under attack from state governments, in particular New South Wales. Therefore, our strategy has been to work very closely with Queensland. Members may have seen a joint press release—one of the few I have ever seen—from me, as the Treasurer of Western Australia, and Hon Andrew Fraser, the Treasurer of Queensland, mounting what I consider to be a vigorous and well-thought-out argument to defend our GST share against New South Wales. As I close, the argument in a nutshell is that as Australia begins to grow again economically, the economic engine room that will drive that growth will be Western Australia and Queensland. It is in the national interest to invest in economic and social infrastructure in those states. It is a simple argument. It is not necessarily an argument about Western Australia; it is an argument about the best long-term outcome for our nation.
Several members interjected. Mr T.R. BUSWELL : We all live in hope! The Prime Minister is that close to the Premier that we were discussing Carnaby’s black cockatoos, which are occasionally a curse to development in Western Australia. The Prime Minister termed them Barnaby’s black cockatoos instead of Carnaby’s. We move on. We are working very closely now, particularly with the state of Queensland, which faces similar challenges to Western Australia. The Grants Commission review is positive for Western Australia and at long last begins to recognise our unique challenges to provide infrastructure, especially in remote and regional areas. The Grants Commission process will be beneficial to Western Australia but it is under attack from state governments, in particular New South Wales. Therefore, our strategy has been to work very closely with Queensland. Members may have seen a joint press release—one of the few I have ever seen—from me, as the Treasurer of Western Australia, and Hon Andrew Fraser, the Treasurer of Queensland, mounting what I consider to be a vigorous and well-thought-out argument to defend our GST share against New South Wales. As I close, the argument in a nutshell is that as Australia begins to grow again economically, the economic engine room that will drive that growth will be Western Australia and Queensland. It is in the national interest to invest in economic and social infrastructure in those states. It is a simple argument. It is not necessarily an argument about Western Australia; it is an argument about the best long-term outcome for our nation.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL : We all live in hope! The Prime Minister is that close to the Premier that we were discussing Carnaby’s black cockatoos, which are occasionally a curse to development in Western Australia. The Prime Minister termed them Barnaby’s black cockatoos instead of Carnaby’s. We move on. We are working very closely now, particularly with the state of Queensland, which faces similar challenges to Western Australia. The Grants Commission review is positive for Western Australia and at long last begins to recognise our unique challenges to provide infrastructure, especially in remote and regional areas. The Grants Commission process will be beneficial to Western Australia but it is under attack from state governments, in particular New South Wales. Therefore, our strategy has been to work very closely with Queensland. Members may have seen a joint press release—one of the few I have ever seen—from me, as the Treasurer of Western Australia, and Hon Andrew Fraser, the Treasurer of Queensland, mounting what I consider to be a vigorous and well-thought-out argument to defend our GST share against New South Wales. As I close, the argument in a nutshell is that as Australia begins to grow again economically, the economic engine room that will drive that growth will be Western Australia and Queensland. It is in the national interest to invest in economic and social infrastructure in those states. It is a simple argument. It is not necessarily an argument about Western Australia; it is an argument about the best long-term outcome for our nation.
We are working very closely now, particularly with the state of Queensland, which faces similar challenges to Western Australia. The Grants Commission review is positive for Western Australia and at long last begins to recognise our unique challenges to provide infrastructure, especially in remote and regional areas. The Grants Commission process will be beneficial to Western Australia but it is under attack from state governments, in particular New South Wales. Therefore, our strategy has been to work very closely with Queensland. Members may have seen a joint press release—one of the few I have ever seen—from me, as the Treasurer of Western Australia, and Hon Andrew Fraser, the Treasurer of Queensland, mounting what I consider to be a vigorous and well-thought-out argument to defend our GST share against New South Wales. As I close, the argument in a nutshell is that as Australia begins to grow again economically, the economic engine room that will drive that growth will be Western Australia and Queensland. It is in the national interest to invest in economic and social infrastructure in those states. It is a simple argument. It is not necessarily an argument about Western Australia; it is an argument about the best long-term outcome for our nation.
As I close, the argument in a nutshell is that as Australia begins to grow again economically, the economic engine room that will drive that growth will be Western Australia and Queensland. It is in the national interest to invest in economic and social infrastructure in those states. It is a simple argument. It is not necessarily an argument about Western Australia; it is an argument about the best long-term outcome for our nation.
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