Transcript
Matt Keogh MP
Federal Member for Burt
E&OE TRANSCRIPT
RADIO INTERVIEW
6PR MORNINGS WITH GARETH PARKER
WEDNESDAY, 3 OCTOBER 2018
SUBJECTS:WAS GST SHARE
GARETH PARKER, HOST:Labor in myjudgementare playing funny buggers, Bill Shorten came into this studio about 6 weeks ago and told us he wason a unity ticket to fix it, now Chris Bowen is casting some doubt over Labors support for theunitydeal, so who do you trust? 922 11 882. The Labor Partys lead man on the GST issue here in WA is the Member for Burt, Matt Keogh. Matt Good Morning.
MATT KEOGH, MP:Gareth, great to be with you.
PARKER:Whyre you playing funny buggers on the GST?
KEOGH:Were not playing funny buggers at all Gareth, if anything Labors been leading the charge on this and the Governments finally catching up.
PARKER:Chris Bowen is casting doubt on theLegislation;it doesnt seem like a unity ticket.
KEOGH:No look all Chris has done rightly and this goes to the Treasurers meeting this morning is say all the states wantto guaranteethatno-onesworse off and I think no one other than Western Australians understand this better weve been basically shafted under the GST as its operated. Labors been about getting that fixed. We also want to make sureno-onesworse off as a consequence. We dont want other states to go through what weve had to gothrough;we want to fix it for WA as well. That bit seems to be missing from the Legislation as well. All of the Treasurers have identified this as a problem. Labor will support this legislation undoubtedly, we called for it first. As you pointed out the Prime Minister only a few months ago said oh we dont need legislation...
PARKER:I dont know why he wants to legislate, as I said Ill ask him about that when he joins us shortly but Mark McGowan, Ben Wyatt, theyre not particularly happy with your leadership team at the moment.
KEOGH:I think thats a bit of a gross oversimplification of what was said actually Gareth. What was pointed out...
PARKER:Hesaidyesterdayhe was going to ring Chris Bowen to get behind the deal.
KEOGH:We are behind the deal and we always have been behind the deal because we were there first. The governments only just caught up to where Labor has alwaysbeen. We said that wed legislate for this, now theGovernmentssuddenly changed itsmind;its done a backflip and said oh yea well legislate it too. Of course well support the legislation, absolutely. Chris made an observation that some of the statesarent happytheresa few thingsmissing from the legislation. That can be fixed but we will support the legislation because absolutely were about fixing the GST issue for Western Australia.
PARKER:Can you guarantee in legislation that no state will be worse off in perpetuity and if so what sort of actual assurance are you looking for? What detail do you want?
KEOGH:There are ways, if you look at the legislation it sets out a number of formulas, theres a guarantee in particular around the Northern Territorys GST that goes forward, that could be set out too. Or at least what the state Treasurers are asking for is some sort of method of assessing what will be there under the new formula vs what currently exists under current forms. Thats what theyre asking for.
PARKER:It seems as though the Victorians in particular are running all sorts of economic models to demonstrate how theyll be worse off so Daniel Andrews the Labor Premier ofVictoria looms as it seems to meone of the biggest obstacles to getting this deal donewith state and Federal Treasurerstoday in Melbourne.Does he just need to get on board?
KEOGH:I thinkall theState Treasurers can and will get on board with this new deal because therell be more money if this is done properly, for all of the states and thats the thing the Treasurers understandably want to make sure. We need to make sure from WA. What we dont want to have happen is money poured into GST distribution, tick thats good then see it pulled out from infrastructure funding that would otherwise be coming to WA.Theyre the things the State Treasurersall want to see guaranteed. We would need that in WA we dont want to be worse off either so as long as those things get fixed the Treasurers will get on board,Laboris on board and well see a GST fix for WA and no states worse off as a consequence.
PARKER:OK,my guestin the Studio is Labor MP for Burt MattKeogh,hes leading the GST for the WA contingent of the Labor Party. Shortly the Prime Minister Scott Morrison will join me in the studio as wellso well get the other side of itand I want to hear from you 922 11 882. I think this is a big day, a very big day for this issue. Matt if State and Federal Treasurers emerge 90 minutes or so from now and they all hold a press conference and agree is that goodenough forFederal Labor?
KEOGH:Well see thelegislation going through the Parliament in a matter of weeks and thats what I expect well getto. We may see a few tweaksthe State premierswantand Id expect thegovernmentto step up to the plate and make sure thatsincorporatedinto the legislation, thats the right thing to do thats why weve been saying hey Treasurer hey Prime Minister show us the detail and remember.
PARKER: If they come out today the state and federal treasurers they all agree they all sign off is that good enough?
KEOGH:That should be good enough and well be supporting, we will support this it will go through we will get the GST fixed for WA have no doubt. Remember this also the PrimeMinstersaid he didnt need legislation. If hed fixed this at the last budget WA would have been over $3 billion better off but instead hes left it to the last minute.
PARKER:I think thats a reasonable point to make. Can I ask you this, immediately after the Liberal party changed leaders, you and some of yourWALabor Colleagues said lets vote on this lets go to an election on it. On this issue would you rather see itresolved before the election or would you like to campaign on it?
KEOGH:I would like to see this issue fixed for all Western Australians as soon as possible. But remember when we get to an election no matterwhen itis, and you talked about trust,whichsgoing to trust agovernment underScottMorrisonwhosecut funding to education, schools, hospitals, cut funding to the ABC,has meddled in the ABC. If you look at all those funding cuts if you talk about trust, lets get GST fixed absolutely but theres a whole range of other issues for an election as well Gareth.
PARKER:Thanks for your time Matt, I appreciate it.
ENDS
