David Bradbury (Lindsay, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Treasurer ) Share this | Hansard source

When legislation was introduced in order to give effect to the carbon price we specifically excluded the carbon price from the imposition of the GST. The GST of course is a tax on the final cost of the supply of goods and services. If the introduction of the carbon price were to lead to some sort of windfall in the GST then your state Liberal premiers would be the first to be out there leading the cheer squad in support of its introduction.

The truth of the matter is that GST revenues have been written down. Go and talk to your state Liberal premiers. Member for Flynn, go and have a word to Mr Newman and ask him about whether or not he is receiving some sort of GST windfall from the introduction of the carbon price. He will do what the state premiers do every day of the week: whinge and whinge and whine, and they will keep doing that until a federal government—not this one—accedes to their request to jack up the price of the GST.

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