Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Abetz. I refer to the Minister for Defence's statement yesterday on the GST that:

… 38c in the dollar for Western Australia is, firstly, not sustainable and, secondly, unfair.

Is the Minister for Defence correct?

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

The government's position on this is very clear. For any change to occur to the GST distribution, there requires to be a unanimity of view between the premiers, chief ministers and the Prime Minister. Indeed, the view that was expressed by Senator Mark Bishop, a former Labor senator from Western Australia—not unsurprisingly, has found a degree of support in Western Australia. But let's be exceptionally clear on this: the government's view on this is well known and the agreement between the states and the Commonwealth is well known.

Claire Moore (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I rise on a point of order. My point of order is on direct relevance to the question. It was about the statement from the Minister for Defence about the GST and asking whether the minister agreed with his comrade, the Minister for Defence.

Stephen Parry (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Moore. The minister was asked also about the GST and in relation to the defence minister's comments. The minister is being directly relevant. Minister, you have the call.

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

Mr President, Senator Johnston is not a comrade; he is a brother to me, and I am delighted to see Senator Johnston working with this government to try to achieve the very best outcome. It stands to reason that the Senate, which is the states house, will from time to time have people championing their specific state. However, the government's view—and that is what I was seeking to express prior to Senator Moore's point of order—in this area is very clear, and question time is usually devoted to matters of government and government policy, not to my personal views on somebody else's personal views.

Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I refer to the Minister for Defence's statement in the Senate yesterday that, 'Tasmania has been a mendicant state.' Does the minister agree?

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

The senator is very clear in what she said. She said 'has been' a mendicant state. As of March this year it is no longer so, because good government has been delivered to the people of Tasmania through the ballot box by electing Will Hodgman as the Premier. As we speak—or very soon hereafter—Treasurer Peter Gutwein will be delivering their first budget, which will restore Tasmania's fortunes.

I agree with Senator Johnston that, unfortunately, the mentality of the Labor and Labor-Green governments that were inflicted on Tasmania for the past 16 years was a mendicant mentality. But the people of Tasmania have thrown themselves free of those shackles by electing a majority Liberal government, and today we Tasmanians, Senator Urquhart, are going to get the benefit of the first Liberal budget in 16 years. (Time expired)

Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. How is the defence minister's position on the GST consistent with the Prime Minister's pre-election promise that there would be no changes to the GST?

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

It might come as a surprise to the honourable senator—as we know that from her side when a government or party says, 'There will be no carbon tax,' it is a promise that will not be honoured. But when we on this side say that there will be no change to the GST, she can rely on that promise, as can all Australians.