Cory Bernardi (SA, Australian Conservatives) Share this | Hansard source

I seek leave to amend general business notice of motion No. 855 standing in my name by substituting the word 'Treasurer' for the words 'Minister for Finance (Senator Cormann)' in paragraph (c).

Leave granted.

I move the motion as amended:

That the Senate—

(a) notes the relativities under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) formula show that the Northern Territory has been a substantial outrider at a relativity in excess of 4 since the GST began, compared with every other state and territory having a relativity of less than 2;

(b) also notes the most recent GST distributions whereby:

  (i) the Northern Territory has a population of 200,000 and received $2 billion in the last distribution,

  (ii) Western Australia has 2 million in population and a $2 billion distribution, and

  (iii) New South Wales had 7 million in population and a $17 billion distribution; and

(c) calls upon the Treasurer to direct the Productivity Commission to conduct a full cost–benefit analysis of the Northern Territory's present self-government model, and whether the Commonwealth needs to directly intervene to rapidly improve the Northern Territory's drag on national productivity.