Productivity Commission says ‘line was crossed’ when WA premier labelled them ‘east coast clowns’ over GST

The Productivity Commission has criticized the remarks made by Western Australian Premier Roger Cook regarding its interim findings on GST. The commission's interim report recommended changing the current GST arrangements, stating they were a "costly mistake," with only Western Australia benefiting. Premier Cook called the commission's authors "east coast clowns" and described their proposals as "dodgy, deceitful, and quite frankly dumb."

The commission welcomed the public debate but deemed Cook's comments inappropriate, as they undermined the commission's integrity. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese labeled the findings as an "economic rationalist" position, while Resources Minister Madeleine King expressed sympathy for Cook's comments and cast doubt on the report's methodology.

The commission's economist, Angela Jackson, stated that the body welcomes public debate but that Cook's remarks crossed a line and undermined the commission's integrity.