Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment) Share this | Hansard source

Mr President, what may or may not have been said in the Liberal Party room—or the coalition party room—is undoubtedly of tantalising interest to the honourable senator. But I am not going to either confirm or deny what those matters may or may not be.

The simple fact is that we as a government are prepared to have a look at the taxation challenges that the nation faces. That is why we are having this taxation white paper. We have also said, in that context, that in relation to the GST specifically, it is an agreement between the states and the Commonwealth that requires each and every signatory to agree to a change.

Therefore it stands to reason that any change in that arrangement will only occur, and can only occur, if each and every state signs onto it. Therefore, it stands to reason that the home state of Senator Bilyk—that happens to be my own home state and, indeed, yours, Mr President—would only sign onto such an arrangement if it believed that it was in the interests of the people of Tasmania. What is more, since the election of the Hodgman Liberal government in Tasmania, Tasmanians can be absolutely—