Vic won't support changes to GST: Andrews

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews won't support sweeping GST changes but will discuss adding the tax to online purchases and financial services.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews

Victoria will not support increasing the GST or broadening it to include food. (AAP)

Victoria will not support increasing the GST or broadening it to include food.

Premier Daniel Andrews has hit back at a proposal by Treasurer Joe Hockey that would result in the states funding public hospitals.

Mr Andrews will visit Sydney next week to meet with Prime Minister Tony Abbott, state premiers and chief ministers, for meetings he expects will be dominated by talk of broadening the GST.

"Victoria will not support fundamental changes to the GST," Mr Andrews told ABC Radio 774 on Wednesday.

"I'll be clear, we're not going to have it jacked up to 15 per cent and not on food either."

Mr Andrews says he is open to discussing the introduction of the GST around the online economy and financial services.

But he says any suggestion of the states contributing more towards schools and hospitals was out of the question, especially considering Victoria already wasn't getting its share.

"Our taxes are building more hospitals and schools in other states than they are here in Victoria," he said.

"There was supposed to be no (federal) cuts to those things, they are lies, and lies are not supposed to drive reform."

Mr Hockey has ruled out any changes to the GST without unanimous agreement from all state and territory governments and bipartisan support in the federal parliament.


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Source: AAP

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