Andrew Leigh

First it was the WA Liberal Premier. Then it was a bunch of backbenchers. Now one of the Abbott Government's most senior Cabinet Ministers is calling for an increase in the GST. Looks like Tony Abbott's first broken promise for 2015 isn't far away.

 MEDIA RELEASE

ROBB BLOWS THE WHISTLE ON GST

The worst kept secret in Australia has been blown today, with senior Cabinet Minister Andrew Robb publically calling for the GST to be added to fresh food, health and education.

Minister Robb has today outed himself in The Australian Financial Review as the ringleader of the campaign within the Liberal Party to increase the GST.

This isn’t a guerrilla campaign being run by Liberal MPs – Australians now know the Liberal Party’s campaign to increase the GST goes right to the Cabinet table.

The Liberal Party has been running an orchestrated campaign to increase the GST for weeks now.

First, WA Liberal Premier Colin Barnett called for it. Then, a parade of backbenchers - including Dan Tehan, Dean Smith and Ian Macdonald – stepped up the campaign.  

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has paid tribute to Minister Robb as a “tough negotiator” who he ‘admires’. 

Mr Abbott may appreciate his efforts in calling for a hike in the price of food, health and education, but Australian families won’t.

All Tony Abbott has done since coming to office is to increase cost of living pressures on families.

Families are being forced to pay $6,000 more because of Tony Abbott’s unfair Budget, they’re being slugged with a new GP tax, new petrol tax, cuts to family payments and pensions and $100,000 university degrees.

And now Tony Abbott wants to increase the GST to hurt families even more, despite promising “no new or increased taxes” before the last election - 33 times he specifically said he wouldn’t change the GST.

With Minister Robb leading the charge, Australians are in no doubt whatsoever than an increase in the GST is firmly on the Abbott Government’s agenda.

FRIDAY, 9 JANUARY 2015

MEDIA CONTACT: JENNIFER RAYNER 0428 214 856