A coalition government would not change the GST during its first term, shadow assistant treasurer Mathias Cormann has pledged.
Senator Cormann made the promise at a pre-election debate with Assistant Treasurer David Bradbury, hosted by The Tax Institute in Sydney.
"The coalition will not increase either the base or the rate of the GST, should we be elected, over this next term of government," Senator Cormann said.
"Any changes to the tax system beyond that will of course be taken to a subsequent election for people to make a judgement on."
Attention on the rate and base of Australia's consumption tax is intensifying as tax experts examine how the nation's tax system will support the costs of an ageing population.
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Tax Institute president Steve Westaway asked Mr Bradbury if an increase in GST was the only option to meet rising aged care and health costs, if corporate tax could not go higher and the number of people paying income tax was shrinking.
Mr Bradbury ruled out further change, saying there were alternatives.
State and territory governments need to make their own taxes more efficient rather, he said, than relying on changes to the GST.
The federal government collects and administers the GST, even though the revenue goes to the states.
"Particularly at the state level there are a range of taxes that are efficient taxes that provide scope for states to fund some of their expenditure," he said.
"We take the view that we are not going to incrase the GST and we are not going to broaden its base."
