Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Finance) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Wang for that question. The report by the National Commission of Audit is publicly available for all to see. I am not quite sure about the suggestion that we have hidden it away. However, the process is, as I have outlined: we said in the lead-up to the last election that there would be no changes to the GST in this term of government. Full stop; end of story. We are, of course, a government that keeps its commitments.

What we have also said is that we would initiate a comprehensive and strategic tax review white paper process in which all of these issues can be ventilated. We have encouraged the state government in Western Australia, as we encourage other state governments, to make submissions to that inquiry and put forward their propositions on how the system can be improved. Whatever decisions we make as a government, we will reflect in the lead-up to the next election as part of our pre-election policies. Hopefully, in good time, the Palmer United Party here in this chamber together with other senators in this chamber will support the genuine reforms that we are putting forward. (Time expired)