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GST won't be an election policy: PM

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says government would need a mandate for any change in the GST and it won't be in this week's budget.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says government would need a mandate for any change in the GST. (AAP)

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Source: AAP


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Malcolm Turnbull won't be taking any changes to the GST to voters during the campaign for the expected July 2 federal election.

In a pre-budget interview on Sky, the prime minister said there would be no change to the goods and services tax, which is currently levied at 10 per cent, in the next parliament.

"We've looked very carefully at the proposal to raise the GST ... But we've rejected it," Mr Turnbull said on Sunday, saying it would be very hard to justify its increase for the return.

He said any government would need a mandate for any change in the GST.

"I can give you this absolute undertaking: there will be no change to the GST in the next parliament," he said.

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"I will be very, very clear about this, no government should ... contemplate making a change as big as that without taking it to an election as John Howard did when introducing it in the first place."


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