By Alex Condon
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has visited Western Australia’s South West region on Sunday as his Labor government released an attack ad claiming the state’s $36.5 billion share of GST would be under threat if the Coalition wins the next election.
Under a 2018 deal, when the Coalition was in government, WA was guaranteed a 70¢-in-the-dollar minimum in annual GST redistribution.
The ad features quotes from high-profile Liberals including former PM Scott Morrison, former deputy leader Julie Bishop and former minister Ken Wyatt, who all appear to claim Dutton opposed the deal at the time.
However, after becoming Opposition Leader in 2022, Dutton voiced support for WA’s current share arrangement.
“We support the current arrangement for WA, I’m not going to change it, I’m not proposing a policy to change it,” he said.
“I believe that there’s an equity argument for WA.”
A new Labor attack ad features high-profile Liberals claiming Peter Dutton opposes WA’s GST deal.Credit: ALP
Ahead of federal cabinet meeting for a week in WA, Albanese called on Dutton to reiterate his support for the deal.
“My Labor government is completely committed to the GST deal for WA,” he said.
“It’s time for Peter Dutton and the Liberal Party to come clean.
“Do they support a far share for WA? Or will they rip away WA’s hard-earned GST?”
Julie Bishop is among the prominent Liberals in Labor’s ad.Credit: ALP
WA Premier Roger Cook went further and said Dutton has never supported WA’s GST deal.
“We fought hard to secure our fair share of the GST, and I’ll keep fighting every day to keep it,” he said.
“Peter Dutton and the Liberals are the biggest risk to WA’s GST. Peter Dutton opposed the GST deal in Cabinet. He’s never supported a fair share for WA – so who knows what he would do as Prime Minister.
“Only Labor can be trusted to protect the GST deal and make sure WA gets our fair share.”
The ad appears to show former PM Scott Morrison saying Dutton would “scuttle the WA GST package”.Credit: ALP
Perth-based Shadow Attorney-General Senator Michaelia Cash said the claims by Labor that the Coalition would end WA’s GST deal were “desperate” and not true.
“This is a truly desperate Prime Minister willing to say anything to curry favour with voters,” Cash said.
“Everyone knows the GST deal for Western Australia was put in place by the Coalition government and the Coalition has and always will stand by that deal.
“Peter Dutton was part of the Cabinet that designed and signed off on the deal and he has made it very clear that a Coalition government under his leadership will never change the GST deal for Western Australia.”