Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

The remarkable thing is that there is even a diversity of views within the Labor Party. Jay Weatherill is advocating big tax changes. Kristina Keneally is advocating changes to the GST, and so is Geoff Gallop, so is Peter Beattie and so is John Brumby from his own state of Victoria. The animosity towards the goods and services tax—of course, we all remember the former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd described the introduction of which as being 'fundamental injustice day', memorably, some years ago—that antipathy towards the GST is not shared by all of his colleagues. Regrettably, from the honourable member's point of view, not all of his colleagues' former writings have been purged. The Stalinism is not as efficient as it used to be, apparently. I note from 2004, the member for Fraser said:

… Howard's eight years have been marked by some strong policy initiatives.… The GST was radical for Australia, and in a broader context it brought us in line with the rest of the developed world.

There you go. Well, he has had a bit of thought reform since then! We are working through, consultatively, many options and many ideas about tax and other economic reform. It is well understood that there are a range of views, and that is why we are engaging with ACOSS, we are engaging with the ACTU, we are engaging with the peak business organisations and many others right across the board. We are meeting with the states and the territories and we have convened a meeting of COAG in December, where we will be discussing all of these issues. What the government is doing is seeking to ensure that we can maintain strong growth so that our children and our grandchildren will have even better opportunities in the future than we have had. The way we do that is by going about the business of government in an open and consultative way.

Mr Pyne interjecting—

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