❓ Premier Barnett addresses concerns about WA's reduced GST share, criticising the federal government's allocation and highlighting the financial disadvantage to Western Australians compared to other states.
AnsweredQoN 139Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
COMMONWEALTH
GRANTS COMMISSION — GOODS AND SERVICES TAX SHARE
139. Mr V.A. CATANIA to the Premier:
On behalf of the member for Wanneroo I would like to
acknowledge the year 7 students from Carramar Primary School.
On radio this morning, the Premier used some pretty strong
language when talking about the federal government further reducing Western
Australia's GST share. Can the Premier please update the house on the
latest Commonwealth Grants Commission estimates for 2012–13 and the
implications for all Western Australians?
GRANTS COMMISSION — GOODS AND SERVICES TAX SHARE
139. Mr V.A. CATANIA to the Premier:
On behalf of the member for Wanneroo I would like to
acknowledge the year 7 students from Carramar Primary School.
On radio this morning, the Premier used some pretty strong
language when talking about the federal government further reducing Western
Australia's GST share. Can the Premier please update the house on the
latest Commonwealth Grants Commission estimates for 2012–13 and the
implications for all Western Australians?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for North West for the question.
Mr D.A. Templeman :
Have you cheered up?
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
No, I have not cheered up. The opposition clearly seems to be happy about the
way the Gillard government treats Western Australians. We have said all along —
Mr D.A. Templeman interjected.
The SPEAKER : I
have given you an opportunity, member for Mandurah. I formally call you to
order for the first time today.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
The Treasurer, I and others have continuously—in fact, since this
government has been in power—made comment about how Western Australia
is getting a raw deal out of the sharing of the GST revenue. We have talked
about how it has gone from 72c in the dollar this year down to 55c.
Several members interjected.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
It is interesting that WA Labor, the western branch of federal Labor, has this
view.
Several members interjected.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
Mr Speaker, please!
Mr M. McGowan : The
truth hurts.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
Truth will catch you out, my friend!
We have relied on figures from the Western Australian
Treasury —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Kwinana, I formally call you to order for the first time today.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : We have relied on figures produced by the Western Australian
Treasury. We can now go to the ''Report on GST Revenue Sharing
Relativities'' produced by the Australian government. These are
commonwealth government figures. I want to tell members what the reality is.
Several members interjected.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
At least members on this side stand up for the state, and care about it.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Cannington, I formally call you to order for the first
time today. Member for West Swan, I formally call you to order for the first
time today.
Members, I hope you want question
time to continue. It is pretty easy for me to say that is the end of question
time. I do not want to do that. Some of you are giving me the indication that
that is what you want to happen.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : As population, and consumer spending, continue to grow year
in, year out, the size of the GST pool for distribution grows. For the coming
financial year, 2012–13, it is estimated that the total GST pool will
grow by around $3.5 billion. There is an additional $3.5 billion to share.
Every state and territory, with the exception of Western Australia, will get a
sizeable increase in its GST payments for the next year. For the coming
financial year, Western Australia will actually get $600 million less. Not $600
million less than we expected, but $600 million less than we received this
year, in absolute dollar terms. Queensland will get an extra $1.3 billion while
we lose $600 million. Both New South Wales and Victoria will get about an extra
$1 billion. Even the Northern Territory will get an extra $300 million. It is
absolutely outrageous. WA Labor does not want to hear this, but it is going to
hear it. What does that mean? I will refer to an example of what it means. Next
year, Western Australia will receive $1 219 for every man, woman and child in
this state. Queensland will receive $2 177 for every man, woman and child in
that state. That is over $1 000 a head more for the Queensland population. Is
that fair? What is wrong with Western Australia? Is it fair that men, women and
children are devalued by Labor by $1 000? That is what is being done by the
Gillard government.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Pilbara, I formally call you to order for the first time today.
Member for West Swan, I formally call you to order for the second time today.
Member for Warnbro, I formally call you to order for the first time today.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : Let me give another perspective on this. We can compare
Western Australia with the little, old Northern Territory. The Northern
Territory has a population of 238 000. That is a little bigger than the City of
Stirling, which has 202 000. So, 238 000 people live in the Northern Territory.
Western Australia has a population of 2.4 million. The GST share to Western
Australia next year will be $2 914 million. The GST share to the Northern
Territory will be $2 909 million—almost identical. The GST share to the
Northern Territory—a little bigger than the City of Stirling—is
the same size in absolute dollars as all of Western Australia, with all of its
territory! The growth is here. The economy in Western Australia is underpinning
the Australian economy on every criterion.
As I said on radio this morning, one simple indicator is what
the Minister for Education has had to deal with. In our schools this year, we
expected an extra 3 000 children in preprimary. An extra 7 000 students turned
up because of interstate or international migration and birth rates. That is
what we have had to deal with. This is a growing state and a state with economic
potential. That is the reality. The state government does not have the capacity
to fill a $600 million hole taken out of its budget. We do not have the
capacity. It is interesting that WA Labor immediately jumped to the defence of
federal Labor! Without hesitation, every one of those opposite jumped to the
defence of federal Labor. Every single one of them jumped to the defence of
Julia Gillard and federal Labor. WA Labor they are not!
We saw it yesterday—the
Leader of the Opposition could not answer the question about whether he
supports a carbon tax or not. He refused to answer. Why did he refuse to
answer? Because Julia Gillard will not let him answer the question! They all
failed this state. Until the Labor Party stands up for Western Australia, it
will not rate. It failed to stand up for the people of this state. It simply
supports the federal government taking money off this state and giving it to
the other states. The Leader of the Opposition failed our state; he does not
stand up for Western Australia!
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Mandurah, there is a time to stop. I formally call you to order for
the second time today. Members for Victoria Park and Willagee, I formally call
you to order for the first time today. Another outburst like that and it will
be the end of question time today, members.
Mr D.A. Templeman :
Have you cheered up?
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
No, I have not cheered up. The opposition clearly seems to be happy about the
way the Gillard government treats Western Australians. We have said all along —
Mr D.A. Templeman interjected.
The SPEAKER : I
have given you an opportunity, member for Mandurah. I formally call you to
order for the first time today.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
The Treasurer, I and others have continuously—in fact, since this
government has been in power—made comment about how Western Australia
is getting a raw deal out of the sharing of the GST revenue. We have talked
about how it has gone from 72c in the dollar this year down to 55c.
Several members interjected.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
It is interesting that WA Labor, the western branch of federal Labor, has this
view.
Several members interjected.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
Mr Speaker, please!
Mr M. McGowan : The
truth hurts.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
Truth will catch you out, my friend!
We have relied on figures from the Western Australian
Treasury —
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Kwinana, I formally call you to order for the first time today.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : We have relied on figures produced by the Western Australian
Treasury. We can now go to the ''Report on GST Revenue Sharing
Relativities'' produced by the Australian government. These are
commonwealth government figures. I want to tell members what the reality is.
Several members interjected.
Mr C.J. BARNETT :
At least members on this side stand up for the state, and care about it.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Cannington, I formally call you to order for the first
time today. Member for West Swan, I formally call you to order for the first
time today.
Members, I hope you want question
time to continue. It is pretty easy for me to say that is the end of question
time. I do not want to do that. Some of you are giving me the indication that
that is what you want to happen.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : As population, and consumer spending, continue to grow year
in, year out, the size of the GST pool for distribution grows. For the coming
financial year, 2012–13, it is estimated that the total GST pool will
grow by around $3.5 billion. There is an additional $3.5 billion to share.
Every state and territory, with the exception of Western Australia, will get a
sizeable increase in its GST payments for the next year. For the coming
financial year, Western Australia will actually get $600 million less. Not $600
million less than we expected, but $600 million less than we received this
year, in absolute dollar terms. Queensland will get an extra $1.3 billion while
we lose $600 million. Both New South Wales and Victoria will get about an extra
$1 billion. Even the Northern Territory will get an extra $300 million. It is
absolutely outrageous. WA Labor does not want to hear this, but it is going to
hear it. What does that mean? I will refer to an example of what it means. Next
year, Western Australia will receive $1 219 for every man, woman and child in
this state. Queensland will receive $2 177 for every man, woman and child in
that state. That is over $1 000 a head more for the Queensland population. Is
that fair? What is wrong with Western Australia? Is it fair that men, women and
children are devalued by Labor by $1 000? That is what is being done by the
Gillard government.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Pilbara, I formally call you to order for the first time today.
Member for West Swan, I formally call you to order for the second time today.
Member for Warnbro, I formally call you to order for the first time today.
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : Let me give another perspective on this. We can compare
Western Australia with the little, old Northern Territory. The Northern
Territory has a population of 238 000. That is a little bigger than the City of
Stirling, which has 202 000. So, 238 000 people live in the Northern Territory.
Western Australia has a population of 2.4 million. The GST share to Western
Australia next year will be $2 914 million. The GST share to the Northern
Territory will be $2 909 million—almost identical. The GST share to the
Northern Territory—a little bigger than the City of Stirling—is
the same size in absolute dollars as all of Western Australia, with all of its
territory! The growth is here. The economy in Western Australia is underpinning
the Australian economy on every criterion.
As I said on radio this morning, one simple indicator is what
the Minister for Education has had to deal with. In our schools this year, we
expected an extra 3 000 children in preprimary. An extra 7 000 students turned
up because of interstate or international migration and birth rates. That is
what we have had to deal with. This is a growing state and a state with economic
potential. That is the reality. The state government does not have the capacity
to fill a $600 million hole taken out of its budget. We do not have the
capacity. It is interesting that WA Labor immediately jumped to the defence of
federal Labor! Without hesitation, every one of those opposite jumped to the
defence of federal Labor. Every single one of them jumped to the defence of
Julia Gillard and federal Labor. WA Labor they are not!
We saw it yesterday—the
Leader of the Opposition could not answer the question about whether he
supports a carbon tax or not. He refused to answer. Why did he refuse to
answer? Because Julia Gillard will not let him answer the question! They all
failed this state. Until the Labor Party stands up for Western Australia, it
will not rate. It failed to stand up for the people of this state. It simply
supports the federal government taking money off this state and giving it to
the other states. The Leader of the Opposition failed our state; he does not
stand up for Western Australia!
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Mandurah, there is a time to stop. I formally call you to order for
the second time today. Members for Victoria Park and Willagee, I formally call
you to order for the first time today. Another outburst like that and it will
be the end of question time today, members.
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