Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

A politician's word is their most valuable commodity. When John Howard said that he would never, ever increase the GST, he meant it. It was great to see Queensland Senator Ian Macdonald coming out and saying that his word meant something. Senator Macdonald said that he had made a commitment to the people of Australia that he would never increase the GST above 10 per cent and he was going to stick to his word. Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss, Minister for Defence Senator Payne, Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop and current Special Minister of State Mal Brough and their colleagues including Tony Abbott, Bronwyn Bishop, Bruce Scott, Ian Macfarlane, Warren Entsch, Bill Heffernan, Sharman Stone, Kevin Andrews and Senator Ronaldson and Senator Abetz, all made the commitment that the GST would never, ever go above 10 per cent. All of those people made that commitment. Why have they not come out and joined their Queensland LNP colleague, Ian Macdonald, in saying say they would never, ever support such an increase? Surely the word of people of honour who made a commitment to the Australian people at the election means something.

See this speech in context