Kim Wilkie (Swan, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Some people just do not know what taxes are. Another problem is that a large amount of the money that is received from the Commonwealth is in the form of tied grants. These reduce our budget flexibility, distort resource allocations and result in increased intrusion by the Commonwealth ministers in areas of state responsibility. That is one problem. The second is this myth about the GST bonanza that the member opposite was ranting on about earlier. It is a myth. In 2006-07, WA expects to receive only $59 million more than under the pre-GST arrangement. Do not believe it when the Commonwealth ministers try and pass responsibilities to the states on the basis of the alleged GST bonanza. We need a sensible debate and a well-balanced treatment of Western Australia—one which would treat us fairly and would see members opposite stop playing politics with this issue and start standing up in this place for the rights of every Western Australian.

Let us have some fair and balanced debate here. Let us have some fairness for Western Australia. Let us have some money from the Commonwealth to pay for much-needed infrastructure resources, such as road and rail. Let us have the federal government stop bleating and whingeing about the Western Australian government and start fulfilling their obligations in this place to those people whom they represent—because they are the ones who need that infrastructure money. It is high time that the Commonwealth government got off their backsides and defended Western Australia.

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