“I think WA particularly needs to come to the table and get a deal that’s fair to the country.”
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The GST deal added an estimated $7.5 billion to the federal budget deficit over the next three years.
The WA budget’s 2020-21 surplus of $5.8 billion was boosted by $1.5 billion due to the GST arrangement. Another $2.1 billion in extra federal assistance will flow to WA this year.
Mr Perrottet said NSW and Victoria will be left worse off unless there are changes to the GST system.
“Whilst there might well be not that much public interest in GST reform,it’s GST that pays for our schools and our hospitals and our nurses and our teachers and our police officers,it’s incredibly important,” he said.
The GST issue is a political powder keg in WA where a series of Liberal-held seats are in play.
WA Premier Mark McGowan said he had trouble keeping up with the number of NSW premiers,noting he did not have the number of Mr Perrottet.
He said he would resist any effort to change the GST deal,accusing Mr Perrottet of having designs on WA’s revenue.
“Given how much we already do for the rest of the nation,Western Australians shouldn’t be forced to bail out NSW because of their financial mismanagement,” he said.
“NSW is adamant they want to undo our hard fought GST share – but I will do everything in my power to stop that.
Mr Morrison on Tuesday told Perth radio the deal would not be changing.
“The deal is done. It’s ended. It’s not something I’m revisiting,” he said.
“As Prime Minister,I ensured that it happened. And WA is almost $5 billion so far better off because of that decision. And the one person you can trust to keep a deal is the one who did the deal,and that’s me.”
Labor leader Anthony Albanese,who spoke to the WA Labor conference at the weekend,said the ALP will not change the agreement.
“We’ve made it very clear that the deal that’s been done,and now legislated,will stay under a Labor government that I lead. I want to help Western Australia,” he told WA radio.