Former treasurer comments on Western Australia’s 2018 GST agreement come after the Productivity Commission assesses the deal as a mistake with potential long-term costs. The former treasurer characterizes the arrangement in highly positive terms, saying it is the “greatest public policy decision this century.”
The sources report that the Productivity Commission’s criticism centers on fiscal risk, including estimates that the agreement could cost Australian taxpayers up to $12 billion a year, depending on how outcomes play out over time. The articles frame this as a dispute between the former treasurer’s retrospective assessment and the Commission’s evaluation of the deal’s economic and budget implications.
Across the outlets, the common focus is the same sequence: the Productivity Commission’s negative finding follows the 2018 arrangement, and the former treasurer responds with a strong endorsement. While the outlets highlight different implications of the Commission’s estimate, none of the provided summaries include additional reporting details beyond these characterizations.
