Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

There is a proposal by me that we have a mature, national debate about reforming the federation. That is my proposal. What I believe the Australian public are yearning for is an opportunity to consider the long-term national interest and to stop playing short-term politics. I think that the Australian public are looking to this chamber for some leadership. I think the Australian public are looking to both sides of this chamber for some consideration of the long term; for some consideration of the fact that we can do better. And we must do better if our nation is to be all that it can and should be in the years and decades to come.

There is only one government—only one national government in recent times—that has actually contemplated an increase in the GST, and that is the members opposite. They actually got it modelled! I happen to know that they were peddling around the press gallery last night what purported to be Treasury modelling of scenario 3, which was a 12½ per cent GST. So I say: if members opposite are honest and if members opposite want to be fair dinkum with the Australian people then table in this parliament the modelling that they got done in government. Table in this parliament the modelling that they had done in government for a 12½ per cent GST.

And that was not the only bit of modelling they got done; that was just scenario 3. Let's have scenario 1. Let's have scenario 2. Let's have scenarios 4, 5 and 6 as well! Members opposite cannot peddle this unsubstantiated scare if they are not prepared to be honest themselves. They are not prepared to be honest themselves and the only government in recent times that has considered an increase in the GST—

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