INTERGOVERNMENTAL FISCAL RELATIONS – AUSTRALIA

Leave GST allocation, as it is, Hockey advised

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 8-Apr-15

Australia’s federal and state Treasurers will meet in Canberra on 9 April 2015. The distribution of goods and services tax revenue will be on the agenda, with Western Australia arguing for some years that it is disadvantaged by the current distribution model. However, a Commonwealth Grants Commission report has recommended retaining the status quo

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. COMMONWEALTH GRANTS COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

A Coalition that can’t agree

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Original article by Joanna Heath, Joanna Mather, Madeleine Heffernan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 6-Jan-15

The Australian Government plans to release a white paper examining potential changes to the goods and services tax. However, the Western Australian Government remains opposed to GST reform unless there are changes to the methodology for distributing revenue from the tax to the states. A number of federal WA MPs are also in favour of GST reform, while KPMG chairman Peter Nash expects tax reform to be a key issue of debate in 2015

CORPORATES
KPMG AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET, WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF TREASURY AND FINANCE, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIA. COMMONWEALTH GRANTS COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL OF SOCIAL SERVICE

Andrews to keep vow to release Link documents

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Original article by Richard Willingham
The Age – Page: 2 : 2-Dec-14

New Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said he will release all documents on the East West Link project on 3 December 2014. The change in government in Victoria, following the 29 November election, means that the toll road project is no longer on the agenda. Andrews wants the $A3 billion allocated by the Federal Government to Victoria to be used for other infrastructure projects

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, VICTORIA. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, VICTORIA. DEPT OF TREASURY AND FINANCE, VICTORIAN TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

PwC says GST review inevitable

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Original article by Katie Walsh
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 7 : 4-Nov-14

PricewaterhouseCoopers believes that Australia’s goods and services tax (GST) regime must be changed. The accounting firm calculated that raising the GST rate to 12.5 per cent and abolishing health, education and food exemptions would increase tax revenue by $A33.5 billion in 2018-19. Prime Minister Tony Abbott wants a debate on the matter but most of the states oppose it

CORPORATES
PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL OF SOCIAL SERVICE, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, IPSOS AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, NEW SOUTH WALES. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET, ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT

Abbott puts GST hike on the table

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Original article by Laura Tingle, Simon Evans
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 27-Oct-14

Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten says he will oppose any push by Prime Minister Tony Abbott to increase the GST rate. Abbott has indicated that tax reform may be on the agenda for the next federal election, including an increase in the state governments’ indirect tax base. The states currently derive about $A54bn of their annual income from the GST, but some have urged a more equitable distribution of GST revenue

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET, SOUTH AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET, NEW SOUTH WALES. DEPT OF PREMIER AND CABINET

Nahan’s hit list of key projects

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Original article by Shane Wright
The West Australian – Page: 1 : 7-Oct-14

The Western Australian (WA) Government has indicated that the funding of infrastructure projects will be affected by the decline in the iron ore price, which has fallen below $US80 per tonne. Treasurer Mike Nahan says the downturn has reduced the state’s revenue by at least $A1.5bn. Nahan has also called for changes to the allocation of goods and services tax revenue among the states to ensure a fairer deal for WA

CORPORATES
WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF TREASURY AND FINANCE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, PALMER UNITED PARTY

Nahan’s GST plan aims to net billions

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Original article by Shane Wright, Andrew Probyn
The West Australian – Page: 9 : 2-Oct-14

Western Australian (WA) Treasurer Mike Nahan has revealed a plan to change the allocation of goods and services tax (GST) among the states. On 1 October 2014, Nahan told Federal MPs that WA will only get $A0.37 of every dollar of GST raised in the state. Nahan has proposed a change in the treatment of iron ore royalties by the Commonwealth Grants Commission. Nahan admitted that the fall in iron ore prices would cut between $A1.5 billion and $A2 billion from the state’s budget

CORPORATES
WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF TREASURY AND FINANCE, AUSTRALIA. COMMONWEALTH GRANTS COMMISSION, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

States under pressure to privatise energy networks

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Original article by David Crowe
The Australian – Page: 6 : 19-Sep-14

The Australian Government is pushing ahead with its agenda to encourage the states to invest in infrastructure with the proceeds of asset sales. It will provide the Queensland Government with a $A1bn incentive if the state proceeds with the sale of electric power assets. However, Federal Treasury Joe Hockey says the incentive will not be available indefinitely and other states may receive the payment if Queensland does not act promptly

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, QUEENSLAND. TREASURY, ERGON ENERGY CORPORATION LIMITED, ENERGEX LIMITED, POWERLINK PTY LTD, GROUP OF TWENTY (G-20), INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND

States fire up over GST distribution

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Original article by Mark Ludlow, Simon Evans, Jonathan Barrett, Geoff Winestock
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 15-Sep-14

Changes to the GST regime will be on the agenda at a meeting of Australia’s state and federal treasurers on 19 September 2014. Some states are concerned about the Commonwealth Grants Commission’s proposed changes to the distribution of GST revenue, with Western Australian Premier Colin Barnett arguing that the Commission is outdated and suggesting that implementing reforms to the GST system should not be a complex task

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. COMMONWEALTH GRANTS COMMISSION, WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET, SOUTH AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, VICTORIA. DEPT OF TREASURY AND FINANCE, COMMITTEE FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF AUSTRALIA, QUEENSLAND. TREASURY, NEW SOUTH WALES. THE TREASURY

Nahan takes GST fight to Canberra

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Original article by Daniel Emerson
The West Australian – Page: 10 : 19-Aug-14

The Western Australian (WA) Government will press its case for a fairer distribution of goods and services tax receipts. WA Treasurer Mike Nahan will address a meeting of Federal MPs in Canberra. There are a number of WA Liberal Party MPs in Cabinet and the outer ministry, as well as a number of senators

CORPORATES
WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF TREASURY AND FINANCE, LIBERAL PARTY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF DEFENCE, WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET