Baird NSW Premier

[Rorschach]

Skippy loves Baird... now that is a reason for concern.

NSW Premier Mike Baird urges changes to GST rate, base for states
RICK MORTON THE AUSTRALIAN APRIL 27, 2014 9:56AM

A COMMONWEALTH discussion on changing the GST rate and base would be “powerful”, according to NSW Premier Mike Baird who renewed his campaign on unequal state revenue this morning.

“I’ve argued for a long time and just about all state treasurers had a position that a lowering of the threshold [for overseas online purchases] is required, bringing the GST into the modern age,” he told Sky News’s Australian Agenda.

“It was never envisioned the internet would become as big as it has, for example. We’ll be very aggressively pursuing that.”

Mr Baird said something had to change because states currently raised about 16 per cent of their revenue with spending responsibilities of 40 per cent when viewed against the Commonwealth.

“You want them aligned,” he said. “Are the federal government going to agree to that today? Of course they’re not. Their reaction was let’s have the discussion.”

He refused to “rule anything in or out” in relation to former Treasury secretary Ken Henry’s assertion the GST “will rise”.

Mr Baird said he would be talking to his federal counterparts about more than just economic matters, including the proposed changes to the race discrimination act.

“I’m not a lawyer but from my point of view if it’s not broken, don’t fix it and there does seem to be broad concern across the community about some of these changes,” he said.

“Any policy is going to attract attention and discussion and there are some concerns as it sits at the moment. My urging of the AG is to take on some of those community concerns. I haven’t done it formally (to him). I will be making my comments clear.”

He said budget pressures would not change his state’s focus on the National Disability Scheme and shouldn’t change the federal government’s commitment.

“We’ve had budget challenges ourselves and what we have done is prioritised our spending toward the NDIS,” he said.

“There is a lot of work that needs to go into the NDIS, it was put together in a rush and a hurry, no one denies the principles of the NDIS. We need to work with them in delivering it in a way that meets community expectations and is affordable. It’s affordable from a state perspective.

“We would be expecting the federal government to meet its commitment on the NDIS.”

On other social matters, Mr Baird reiterated his support for a conscience vote on same-sex marriage and said he had concerns about asylum-seeker children held in detention.

“What Tony has done is a very humane thing and that is to actually stop the boats and that is a policy that goes across the political spectrum,” he said.

“At the same time, in terms of where the refugees are placed we need to be humane. Whatever happens in Manus Island has to be humane.

“I’ve got a broad concern with children in detention, but I’m comfortable with offshore processing provided it is humane, provided the processing is efficient.”

Mr Baird said his predecessor Barry O’Farrell’s resignation was a “noble” decision and denied he had put forward lobbyist Nick Di Girolamo’s name for a state government corporation board position.

“I instituted an independent process and that was an entire cabinet appointment,” he said.

“It’s [problem with lobbyists] not just the Liberal Party, it’s well and truly across the political spectrum,” he said.

“I understand the community concern and one of the things we’re determined to do is maintain the trust of the community. It’s a difficult issue but I can assure you we will be taking strong action.”

Just what we need another boofhead WET in charge of NSW.

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