Jason Wood (La Trobe, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Treasurer. Can the Treasurer advise the House of any recent government modelling on changes to the GST?

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I really do thank the honourable member for that question. It does come as a surprise! Last night, there I was quietly eating my dinner when I saw on TV that the journalists from Canberra were referring to Treasury modelling on increases to the GST. I thought, 'Treasury modelling on increases to the GST?' So I rang Treasury and asked, 'Did we ask you to model changes to the GST?' They said, 'No, Treasurer, we didn't.' But I kept hearing about this Treasury modelling on the GST. I looked everywhere. I looked under the table. I looked in the drawers. I went to the gym. I thought it might be hiding in the physio's. It was not there. I went everywhere. Lo and behold! I found it in the press gallery: 'Oh, Treasury modelling on increases to the GST.' I thought, 'This must be a comprehensive document.' It is one page long! It is a dramatic page, in fact: one page with half of it blacked out. Up the top it says, 'Scenario 3: Increase GST to 12½ per cent.' I thought, 'Hang on! What happened to scenario 1? What happened to scenario 2, scenario 4, 5, 6, 7?' I asked the Treasury, 'Where did this come from?' They said, 'We did it for the previous Labor government.'

Government Members:

Government members interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There will be silence on my right!

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I said to the Treasury, 'Give me a copy.' I thought it was a legitimate question; I am the Treasurer. I said, 'Give me a copy of that Treasury modelling commissioned by the previous Labor government for increasing the GST.' They said, 'Treasurer, we can't. Under convention we cannot release that information.' I said, 'How am I going to get it?' They said, 'You can ask the Labor Party to release all the modelling they did on increasing the GST.'

Government members interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There will be silence on my right.

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I say to the Labor Party: release the modelling. We know the Labor Party's form. The carbon tax: 'There will be no carbon tax under the government I lead,' then they introduced a carbon tax.

An opposition member interjecting—

Mrs Bronwyn Bishop (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You may not speak. Go back to your seat.

Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Now we know that the GST the Labor Party are so concerned about they modelled on not one but numerous occasions. They modelled increases in the GST. I table a letter to the shadow Treasurer to come forth to the Australian people and release all the modelling the Labor Party commissioned to increase the GST.

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

I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.