Lisa Singh

Having declined all week to rule out any changes to GST distribution to Tasmania, the Turnbull Government has refused another chance.

During Senate Question Time today, I asked Senator Matthias Cormann, the Leader of the Government in the Senate, whether he agreed with the Tasmanian Treasury’s Revised Estimates report.

That report affirms that changes to the GST formula are a major risk to the state budget.

In fact, the report says that, ‘Tasmania’s share of the GST could fall by … $168 million.’

I also asked that Senator Corman to tell Tasmanians before March 3 election how much they would lose under his government’s GST changes.

Senator Cormann, the Minister for Finance, refused to give me a straight answer, which should make Tasmanians very, very nervous.

Tasmania needs a fair share of GST to fund our essential services like our hospitals and schools.

But if the Turnbull Government makes any move away from the current GST distribution system, Tasmania’s budget will be stripped of tens or hundreds of millions of dollars.

Yet nothing has been heard from Tasmania’s Liberal senators.

Nothing has been heard from Tasmania’s Liberal premier.

Bec White and Labor know that Tasmanians just can’t afford the Liberals’ cuts to Tasmania’s GST share.

But at both state and Federal levels only Labor is fighting for Tasmania and against these changes to the GST.

THURSDAY, 8 FEBRUARY 2018
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