A West Australian government handout to families of up to $250 per school student, announced a week after the state received another increase in its share of GST funding, has been slammed as evidence the system to carve up the tax take is broken.
Fresh from an $800 million GST windfall for the 2024-25 financial year, the WA government announced 300,000 families would be eligible for $250 for every child in high school and $150 for primary and kindergarten students to assist with cost-of-living pressures.
Samantha Hutchinson is the AFR's National Reporter. Most recently, she was CBD columnist for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. Before that, she covered Victorian and NSW politics and business for The Australian, the AFR and BRW Magazine. Connect with Samantha on Twitter. Email Samantha at samantha.hutchinson@afr.com.au
