July 5 2018 Liberal Opposition welcomes GST reforms The State Opposition has welcomed the Turnbull Government’s response to the Productivity Commission inquiry into and recommendations on the distribution of the Goods and Services Tax. Opposition Leader Mike Nahan said the Turnbull Government was to be congratulated for delivering a response in which no state would be left worse off or suffer the same revenue collapse experienced like Western Australia had since 2010. “This has been a decade-long fight by members of the WA Liberal Party, both State and Federal,” Dr Nahan said. “It has been a long and at times lonely fight and many of those now claiming these reforms as their victory, including the McGowan Government and the WA Chamber of Commerce and Industry, at best were spectators along the way and at their worst worked to undermine the process. “It is now incumbent on the McGowan Government to demand Bill Shorten and Federal Labor support these changes. “Bill Shorten and Federal Labor should immediately abandon their policy to not support GST reform in favour of handouts given at the whim of the incumbent Federal Government. “We have long said structural reform of the distribution of the GST is required and today the Turnbull Government has delivered. “It would be against the national interest, and against WA’s interest, if Federal Labor does not support these changes. “The fact no state will be worse off is an important achievement in ensuring this fundamental reform, which is so important for our national productivity and our State’s growth, proceeds.” Dr Nahan said WA’s Federal Members and Senators had made a major breakthrough for the State, having been the architects of the strategy to refer the issue of the GST distribution to the Productivity Commission. “Make no mistake, it is the WA Liberals, Federal and State, who led the charge nationally for structural reform of the GST distribution and today all West Australians can see there is a solution to this problem as a result of those efforts,” Dr Nahan said. “Now it is incumbent on the McGowan Government to make sure Bill Shorten gets on board and ensures we have proper structural reform of the GST and West Australians get the fair share they deserve.” Media Contact |
