Premiers cop GST spray from Barnett
Colin Barnett has delivered a withering spray at his fellow Commonwealth leaders in a joint press conference that was supposed to highlight their agreement on key issues.
The Premier left his fellow premiers and chief ministers looking at their notes and toes as he lambasted them for failing to back WA’s calls for a revamp of the way the GST pie is carved-up.
Following comments from Tony Abbott, NSW leader Mike Baird, Victorian leader Daniel Andrews and others, Mr Barnett said he must have been in a different meeting than the one they attended.
“The elephant in the room is GST and that’s what this COAG has been significantly about,” he said.
“We can bicker and argue, but it’s to no effect.
“Western Australia feels very poorly treated under the recommendations that have been made to the Commonwealth Government.”
Mr Barnett then identified particularl jurisdictions for picking up part of WA’s share of the GST.
He noted that of the $3.8 billion in WA GST that would be moved to other parts of the country, that $500 million would go to Tasmania, $750 million to South Australia, $600 million to Queensland, $142 million to the ACT and $1.7 billion to the Northern Territory.
WA Premier Colin Barnett called the GST the "elephant in the room" at COAG. Picture: Simon Santi/The West Australian
“You can understand why I’m angry, you can understand why West Australians are angry. So what I sought was it would get no worse,” he said.
Mr Barnett said he believed Mr Abbott had shown a willingness to listen to WA’s concerns and to come up with a possible solution.
While admitting the solution was yet to be resolved, he said a floor of 50 per cent – below which WA’s GST share could not fall – was on the agenda.
WA’s GST share is set to fall to just 29.9 per cent this coming financial year.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott onfirmed the GST carve-up ratios would remain over the next couple of years. Picture: Getty
Mr Abbott said the GST distribution issue would now form part of the Federation White Paper discussion.
He said while a floor may be discussed, ultimately there would have to be a resolution by all the States and Territories.
“I think we should be prepared to consider that,” he said.
Mr Abbott confirmed the GST carve-up ratios would remain over the next couple of years.
