GST distribution
524. Mr Yaz Mubarakai to the Treasurer:
Mr Speaker, before I ask my question, on behalf of the members for Riverton and Jandakot, can I welcome the life members of the Leeming Spartan Cricket Club—as a fellow Spartan. Welcome to Parliament House. Let's go Spartos!
Treasurer, I refer to the Cook Labor government's commitment to securing Western Australia's fair share of the GST.
(1) Can the Treasurer inform the house how the Cook Labor government is responding to the upcoming Productivity Commission's review of the GST distribution system and what it means for Western Australia's fair share?
(2) Can the Treasurer outline to the house what are the threats to this mission?
Ms Rita Saffioti replied:
(1)–(2) Thank you very much. Members of this house know that it was a WA Labor government that secured a new deal on the GST. For many years, Western Australia was simply not getting its fair share. Upon the election of a WA Labor government, we worked very hard to secure a fair share of the GST. That was work undertaken by WA Labor in which we secured a 75% floor for our GST. Legislation passed that protected WA and made sure that the very low percentages that were being delivered would be reversed and we would get 75% of our GST. At one stage, that share of the GST revenue had fallen down to 30c, so the new floor is very much about protecting not only WA's interests but our national interests. WA is the driving force of the national economy. We spend billions of dollars on economic infrastructure that fuels development and helps drive national economic growth and our national financial outcome. As we know, the Premier and our ministers are working hard to continue to support new developments and working with the federal government in relation to environmental streamlining processes to make sure that WA can continue to drive the national economic agenda.
It is fair to say that there are many people over east who do not support our deal. There are media outlets and economic commentators trying to tear down that deal. We have a lot of confidence. We have full confidence in the Albanese government, but we know there is a lot of noise on the other side of people wanting to tear down that deal, and that is why we have embarked on a program to make sure we tell our story so that people across the nation understand what that deal means for not only WA but also the nation, and that the GST deal works not only for WA but also for Australia, so do not tear down that deal.
We have embarked on a program including briefings and round tables with businesses and media. We will be undertaking an education program over east to make sure that everyone is fully aware that without this GST deal, the WA Government and WA industry could not fuel the jobs of the future. Even with the deal, just from the GST pool, we are already subsidising the other states by $2.5 billion a year. The net fiscal subsidy from WA to Canberra is $39 billion a year. We are already pulling our weight. Do not touch the GST deal! Our program is making sure, through our dedicated team and Treasury and through the former Under Treasurer—the one that the opposition Treasurer seems to want to attack all the time—to educate, advertise and make sure Australia knows that a deal that is good for Western Australia is good for the nation.
