❓ Opposition questions the Treasurer about unfulfilled promise to hire 'fairness fighters' for GST revenue. Treasurer deflects, touting government's success in securing a favorable GST deal and attacking the opposition.
AnsweredQoN 214Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
GST DISTRIBUTION
214. Mr R.S. LOVE to the Treasurer:
In the Treasurer's
predecessor's last budget, $1.6 million was allocated to recruit three
fairness fighters to protect Western Australia's GST share. Almost one
year on from that announcement and with the next state budget around the
corner, those roles are yet to be filled. Was this measure just another example
of the Western Australian Labor government making announcements and paying
lip-service claiming to be protecting our fair share of the GST?
214. Mr R.S. LOVE to the Treasurer:
In the Treasurer's
predecessor's last budget, $1.6 million was allocated to recruit three
fairness fighters to protect Western Australia's GST share. Almost one
year on from that announcement and with the next state budget around the
corner, those roles are yet to be filled. Was this measure just another example
of the Western Australian Labor government making announcements and paying
lip-service claiming to be protecting our fair share of the GST?
AnswerView source ↗
It
is a very, very good day when the National and Liberal Parties ask us about Western
Australia's GST. I was hoping for
a question, but I could not believe it was that good! Who in this state got a fair
deal for WA, members? We did. Let us face it, the Liberal–National
government was an embarrassment to the nation. It did not even ask for a fair GST deal. We asked and we received. That is what
we have been doing every day—protecting Western Australians— whether
it is in relation to funding agreements on education —
Mr R.S. Love interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Mr R.S. Love interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : What is he
talking about? I do not understand what the member is on about. It was Western Australian
Labor. The only reason that we have that GST deal in place is that we won the
2017 election. Let us be frank about it. In the course of government and in the
course of life, you sit back and say that there are some things that might have
happened anyway but there are some things that we were absolutely fundamentally 100 per cent responsible for, and the GST
deal is the top one, members. It is because we won that election. The federal Liberal
Party was scared about Western Australia, and it did the deal. That is what
happened. Ever since that day, in every meeting the Premier has had with
representatives across the nation and in every meeting I have had with
representatives from across the nation, every member of the government protects
and fights for the GST deal.
Honestly,
look at the opposition. It comes in and sits there and the first question to me
is about the GST deal—one of the biggest accomplishments of this
government. They can ask about the GST deal all the time. Honestly, their criticism and negativity is out of touch with
modern Western Australia. The Leader of the Liberal Party is criticising Western Australian families for being able to access a financial payment. Why
would the member do that?
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : I do not
understand on what planet she thinks Western Australians do not deserve a payment.
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : I do not
understand on what planet the Liberal Party believes —
Ms L. Mettam : It is term 2.
Mr R.S. Love : Point of
order, Madam Speaker.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Points of order
are heard in silence, members. The Leader of the Opposition.
Point of Order
Mr R.S. LOVE : I asked a question
around a Treasury unit and we are getting this argy-bargy across the chamber —
Several members interjected.
Mr R.S. LOVE : —
instead of the Treasurer addressing the matter at hand, which is the fairness
fighters within Treasury.
The SPEAKER : Members, before
I gave the call to the Leader of the Opposition, I said that points of order
are heard in silence. For those of you who interjected, that is not acceptable.
In response to the member
requesting the point of order, the member made a complaint, really. I do not
regard it as a point of order. The fact of
the matter is that the Leader of the Liberal Party started interjecting quite
vociferously , somewhat goaded by the minister, which then provoked
everyone else to want to interject. The Leader of the Liberal Party continued
to interject and other people continued to interject. The minister was not
complaining about it and that is why I let it go. If that is what members want,
that is what they can have. But if you start it, that is what happens.
Generally, we are better off if the person who asks the question is the only
person who interjects, and even then if they do it intermittently and it is not
the same interjection over and again.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : Like I said,
I do not know what planet the Leader of the Liberal Party is on, but it is a planet
on which she believes Western Australian families not deserve assistance for
school costs. Again, I do not know how she
dealt with looking after a family, but costs are ongoing. Honestly, they do not
occur on the first day of the school year as if there are no other
costs. It is the first day of school and that is it; nothing else happens until
the rest of the year! I wish the costs were for only the first day of the year.
The Labor Party has secured the
best GST deal for Western Australia. We will continue to fight. All the
members, Treasury and everyone will make sure
that we protect our GST deal from people like Peter Dutton who never liked the
GST deal, as we know. We know that because his good friend Malcolm Turnbull—the
two are very close!—wrote about it. Malcolm Turnbull wrote that Peter
Dutton did not like that GST deal. He is vying to be the Prime Minister of
Australia. We know that federal Labor has locked in that GST deal.
is a very, very good day when the National and Liberal Parties ask us about Western
Australia's GST. I was hoping for
a question, but I could not believe it was that good! Who in this state got a fair
deal for WA, members? We did. Let us face it, the Liberal–National
government was an embarrassment to the nation. It did not even ask for a fair GST deal. We asked and we received. That is what
we have been doing every day—protecting Western Australians— whether
it is in relation to funding agreements on education —
Mr R.S. Love interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Mr R.S. Love interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : What is he
talking about? I do not understand what the member is on about. It was Western Australian
Labor. The only reason that we have that GST deal in place is that we won the
2017 election. Let us be frank about it. In the course of government and in the
course of life, you sit back and say that there are some things that might have
happened anyway but there are some things that we were absolutely fundamentally 100 per cent responsible for, and the GST
deal is the top one, members. It is because we won that election. The federal Liberal
Party was scared about Western Australia, and it did the deal. That is what
happened. Ever since that day, in every meeting the Premier has had with
representatives across the nation and in every meeting I have had with
representatives from across the nation, every member of the government protects
and fights for the GST deal.
Honestly,
look at the opposition. It comes in and sits there and the first question to me
is about the GST deal—one of the biggest accomplishments of this
government. They can ask about the GST deal all the time. Honestly, their criticism and negativity is out of touch with
modern Western Australia. The Leader of the Liberal Party is criticising Western Australian families for being able to access a financial payment. Why
would the member do that?
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : I do not
understand on what planet she thinks Western Australians do not deserve a payment.
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : I do not
understand on what planet the Liberal Party believes —
Ms L. Mettam : It is term 2.
Mr R.S. Love : Point of
order, Madam Speaker.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Points of order
are heard in silence, members. The Leader of the Opposition.
Point of Order
Mr R.S. LOVE : I asked a question
around a Treasury unit and we are getting this argy-bargy across the chamber —
Several members interjected.
Mr R.S. LOVE : —
instead of the Treasurer addressing the matter at hand, which is the fairness
fighters within Treasury.
The SPEAKER : Members, before
I gave the call to the Leader of the Opposition, I said that points of order
are heard in silence. For those of you who interjected, that is not acceptable.
In response to the member
requesting the point of order, the member made a complaint, really. I do not
regard it as a point of order. The fact of
the matter is that the Leader of the Liberal Party started interjecting quite
vociferously , somewhat goaded by the minister, which then provoked
everyone else to want to interject. The Leader of the Liberal Party continued
to interject and other people continued to interject. The minister was not
complaining about it and that is why I let it go. If that is what members want,
that is what they can have. But if you start it, that is what happens.
Generally, we are better off if the person who asks the question is the only
person who interjects, and even then if they do it intermittently and it is not
the same interjection over and again.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : Like I said,
I do not know what planet the Leader of the Liberal Party is on, but it is a planet
on which she believes Western Australian families not deserve assistance for
school costs. Again, I do not know how she
dealt with looking after a family, but costs are ongoing. Honestly, they do not
occur on the first day of the school year as if there are no other
costs. It is the first day of school and that is it; nothing else happens until
the rest of the year! I wish the costs were for only the first day of the year.
The Labor Party has secured the
best GST deal for Western Australia. We will continue to fight. All the
members, Treasury and everyone will make sure
that we protect our GST deal from people like Peter Dutton who never liked the
GST deal, as we know. We know that because his good friend Malcolm Turnbull—the
two are very close!—wrote about it. Malcolm Turnbull wrote that Peter
Dutton did not like that GST deal. He is vying to be the Prime Minister of
Australia. We know that federal Labor has locked in that GST deal.
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