Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, my question is to the Treasurer. This morning the Treasurer's colleague Senator Abetz, in a wide-ranging interview, said:

Once again the government does need to settle the agenda here as to whether an increase to the GST is or is not on the table.

Does the Treasurer agree with his colleague? Is the GST on the table or not?

Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question. As the Leader of the Opposition knows, as all members of the House know, when you are engaged in a discussion about creating a better tax system, one that actually backs Australians to get ahead—Australians who are out there working, and I note today's employment figures show there are a lot more of them working, which is fantastic and we welcome that—then you go out there trying to create a better tax system that achieves that. Part of the process in trying to create a better tax system is that you engage the states and territories. The Leader of the Opposition would know that it has been state and territory governments who have put forward this option. This is the option that state and territory governments have put forward to the Commonwealth government to consider how you can have a better tax system in this country. We have been working with the states and territories on the basis of the request for the information that they have put to us.

It is not just state and territory governments who have been putting forward this proposal. I note Geoff Gallop said:

I've been on the record for some time talking about need to increase the GST …

Perhaps the Leader of the Opposition might want to talk to Mr Gallop or Mr Weatherill or Mr Baird or any of the state treasurers and premiers, current or past, who have put forward these proposals. We are considering all options that are put to us on these matters.

The member for Fairfax raised an issue yesterday about other areas of tax, and we welcome people who actually seriously engage in the debate. Those opposite, as always, have learnt nothing in their time in opposition from their appalling years in government. One of the things they have not learnt is how to make sure that their savings are greater than their expenditure commitments, because we know they have $60 billion of commitments out there and only $5 billion worth of revenue and savings to pay for them. They think they can use those savings 12 times over. We will get on with the job of creating jobs, of supporting jobs and of having a plan which supports jobs and growth throughout our economy. I have no idea what the Leader of the Opposition is going to get on with.