Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s pledge to keep WA’s GST share has given the State’s business community a sense of cautious optimism, CCIWA says.
“That is my view. That has consistently been my view.”
The Prime Minister’s promise – made today while standing alongside WA Premier Roger Cook at a Henderson press conference – comes after the Productivity Commission recommended winding back the Federal Government’s 2018 reforms that ensured certainty for WA’s economy.
All three options proposed by the Commission would have left WA worse off and a funding gap of $6 billion a year, threatening investment in essential public services and infrastructure.
Campaign continues to keep WA strong
CCIWA has been fighting to ensure WA’s GST remains, garnering strong support from businesses and the wider community, with our petition surpassing recently 16,000 signatures.
“The Prime Minister has locked in WA’s GST share which gives us some comfort moving forward,” CCIWA Chief Economist Dr Daniel Kiely said.
“However, the battle to protect WA’s GST is not over.
“CCIWA will be making a strong case to the Productivity Commission that it got it wrong in its interim report, and we will continue to advocate strongly for WA’s GST share to be protected in the long term.
CCIWA Chief Economist Dr Daniel Kiely
“The Prime Minister’s commitment appears to be rock solid, but we must remain vigilant about the potential for change in the future.”
Kiely said the 2018 deal that gave WA a 75c floor in its GST revenue was vital for the State’s economic security.
“The 2018 GST deal came about because the old system was broken,” he said.
“The Productivity Commission itself came to this conclusion, which it has now walked away from.
“The deal gives certainty to all states and protects everyone across the nation from boom-and-bust cycles.”
Join our fight!
Sign CCIWA’s Keeping WA Strong campaign and add your voice to fight for to help protect WA’s fair share of the GST deal.
