It seems that nothing can change the nature of one Malcolm Bligh Turnbull, from The Australian:
Malcolm Turnbull’s plan to fix the GST distribution formula so that each state is guaranteed a minimum share will be implemented “down the road” so that no state will be immediately worse off, Treasurer Scott Morrison says.
Western Australia’s low share of the annual GST distribution has been a political sore point in the state, with the state receiving only 30 per cent of the funds it would get if GST were distributed on a per-capita basis. Because the state has such a rich flow of resource royalties, the Commonwealth Grants Commission has distributed 70 per cent of Western Australia’s GST share to weaker states.
Although premier Colin Barnett argues the commonwealth does not need an agreement with the states to make the change, Mr Morrison insisted the plan “would have to be worked through with all the states and territories”.
“It’s down the track; we shouldn’t get ahead of ourselves,” the Treasurer told 2GB.
“No one envisaged that the current way things are done would lead to a situation where Western Australia would just get 30 per cent of the GST that their people paid. So the system’s got to be fair to everyone and that’s a pretty egregious result.
“Down the track, once the system gets to the point where Western Australia’s share has gotten back to a more normal level, then we’ll have a good yarn about how we rebalance the system so no state is ever put in that situation again.
“It’s after those sort of thresholds have been reached which means that no one’s share of the GST or what they’re currently getting at that point in time would be affected.”
Another PM thought bubble bursts then. Good.
