The WA GST deal has cost almost $23 billion and left other states short. Political convenience is overriding fairness, independent advice and the national interest.

When the Productivity Commission (PC) recently suggested changes to the Morrison government’s 2018 GST deal with Western Australia, the state premier, Roger Cook, jumped into the gutter where he was soon joined by the prime minister.

Cook slagged off on authors of the PC report. They’re “east coast clowns who do not understand WA”, he said, “who would punish WA for its success and simply prop up other lazy states” with changes that are “dodgy, deceitful and quite frankly dumb [and] the only change we will accept is no change.” Of course, Cook doesn’t want to discuss the PC proposals on their merits because that would take him into the vulnerable territory of facts, rationality and courtesy.

Yet Cook’s tactics worked, as Albanese, in a small masterpiece of typically Delphic twaddle, assured him that “…you will get your fair share [of the GST] because of your work and what you contribute to the national economy really counts.” Whatever it means, such blather provides no basis for fairly dividing up GST revenues between the states – it only means that for WA, Albanese will give Cook what he wants – no change.

The 2018 Morrison GST deal with WA was inspired by partisan politics; it has been maintained by Albanese for the same reasons. No price would seem to be too high for WA seats in the federal parliament and to hell with the........

© Pearls and Irritations