Goods and Services Tax

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS (15:04): Supplementary: will the Treasurer also assure the people of South Australia that the South Australian Marshall government won't be supporting a continued sanitary items tax?

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (Treasurer) (15:04): What was the question?

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS: The tampon tax. Will you be supporting the removal of the sanitary items GST?

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: On behalf of the government, I have placed on the record the state government's position that we will be supporting the proposed changes. As we understand it, all other state and territory governments will adopt the same position. That will be confirmed at the meeting on 3 October. What the process for implementing that change will be, I guess the new federal Treasurer will indicate. Not unsurprisingly, there have now been a range of other proposed changes to the GST base, which have been put to state Treasurers and perhaps also to the new federal Treasurer. At this stage, the only proposal that I'm aware of that is likely to get unanimous support is the issue raised by the honourable member.