Steve Irons (Swan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's good timing because the Treasurer has just walked into the chamber and I'm rising to talk about the GST and, more so, about how the coalition government has made the biggest reform to the redistribution of the GST since its introduction. I've banged on about the GST and WA's unfair share all the way back since 2009, along with the former member for Canning, the member for Curtin and many of my colleagues from WA on this side of the chamber.

I'll simply say that it was an immensely unfair distribution, and I don't think anyone ever envisaged it would drop to so low a rate. The coalition knew it was unfair, and it was this side that brought in the GST top-up payments as a stopgap measure. Those opposite ignored the issue all the way through, except for in 2007 when Kevin Rudd said he'd fix it, but he didn't. I'll correct that because those opposite did more than ignore the unfairness; they even argued on the east coast that the distribution for WA was fair. However, it didn't pass the pub test at Mt Henry Tavern in Salter Point, nor at Boab Tavern in High Wycombe.

The coalition have, unlike those opposite, taken the GST problem out of the too-hard basket and guaranteed a fair share of the GST for WA, but Young Labor are still out in my electorate lying to people while doorknocking, saying that we will do nothing about the GST. The coalition is bringing in real reform on personal income tax and GST, while those opposite continue to take WA for granted, just like the last time they were in government.