Carol Brown (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Disability and Carers) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Cormann. The Liberal Treasurer of New South Wales has said about GST distribution that 'every Treasurer from every state and territory across the country today is united in our view that, if this legislation is to be passed, there needs to be an amendment to ensure that, in law, no state or territory will be worse off as a result of this change'. Will the Prime Minister listen to every Treasurer from every state and territory and then guarantee, in legislation, that no state or territory will be worse off under the new GST model?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We are actually doing better than that. Our legislation is making sure that every state is better off, not just 'not worse off'. We are addressing a longstanding issue for the great state of Western Australia, which clearly has been on the receiving end of an unfairly low share of the GST into that state. The government has come forward with a plan to address that issue in a way that not only makes the arrangements better and fairer for WA but also leaves every other state better off.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Brown, a supplementary question.

Carol Brown (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Disability and Carers) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Liberal Treasurer of South Australia has said: 'We will not support the Commonwealth's legislation, the Commonwealth parliament, unless there is an amendment to put the guarantee in place.' How many members of the coalition party room does the Prime Minister expect to support an amendment to protect the states and territories they represent?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We've got a plan, which we have put forward as a government, that improves GST sharing arrangements for Western Australia in a way that leaves every state better off—

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Wong on a point of order.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

He may be getting into it, Mr President, and, if so, I apologise. I raise a point of order on direct relevance. The question directly goes to whether the coalition will be supporting an amendment to protect the states and territories.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister has 46 seconds remaining. That's sufficient time to come to the question.

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Our proposal in relation to our plan to improve GST sharing arrangements in a way that leaves every state better off is a matter of public record. Any legislation to implement it, which we have foreshadowed, will of course go through the normal processes of our party, as I would expect them to go through the normal processes of your party.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Brown, a final supplementary question.

Carol Brown (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Disability and Carers) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Liberal Treasurer of Tasmania has said: 'We believe it is very important that a guarantee be put in place and legislated to ensure that, under any circumstance, the state would be no worse off.' Are the Liberal treasurers of New South Wales, South Australia and Tasmania all wrong?

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The first point I would make to Senator Brown is that, on his last visit to Western Australia, Mr Shorten said to the people of Western Australia that he was now on a unity ticket with Mr Morrison, that he was going to put an end to the argy-bargy between Liberal and Labor nationally and that he supported our plan.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Brown on a point of order.

Carol Brown (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Disability and Carers) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My point of order is relevance. I asked about the Liberal treasurers of New South Wales, South Australia and Tasmania. It was a very straightforward question and I would appreciate an answer.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister has 39 seconds remaining.

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I've already indicated to the chamber, we're actually doing one better than what Senator Brown is asking. We're making sure every state is not just 'not worse off', but better off. What we don't think is sensible is to run, in perpetuity, two systems in parallel—to continue to run the old formula at the same time as the new formula—when every state, self-evidently, is going to be better off on our numbers and on the numbers of the states.

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