Anthony Albanese has been branded a ‘liar’ who cannot be trusted after signing a journalist’s arm promising not to change Western Australia’s GST allocation.
The prime minister’s stunt came during his visit to Perth, where a newspaper front page on Monday called on him to promise not to undo a 2018 deal that gave the state a much higher VAT return than before.
A ‘tattoo’ pledge later written on journalist Dylan Caporn’s arm during a press conference only served as a reminder of Labour’s recent backsliding on an election promise not to change the third stage of tax cuts.
Federal Liberal senator Michaelia Cash urged other West Australians to question the prime minister’s promise, having already made a “litany of broken promises”.
“There is a liar in the Lodge and his name is Anthony Albanese,” Mrs. Cash said Sky News Australia on Monday evening.
Anthony Albanese caused a stir at a press conference on Monday when he signed a journalist’s arm pledging not to change Western Australia’s GST allocation
‘Honestly, I don’t believe this man, he will change his mind if it is politically convenient.
“It’s that simple and that happens to be Anthony Albanese’s record in government as Prime Minister of our country.”
Caporn is a former Labor staffer, according to Sky News political editor Andrew Clennell
The Western Australia deputy chief of staff’s X account says he has previously worked in politics, but does not say which party he worked for.
Clennell suggested it may have all been a sting, as Mr Albanese probably knows Caporn.
But a conspiracy did not seem likely when the journalist asked the Prime Minister at a press conference to sign the front page of the Western Australia.
Mr Albanese instead offered to ink the pledge not to change WA’s share of GST revenue on Caporn’s arm.
The Prime Minister wrote in blue marker: ‘NO CHANGE TO WA GST’ and signed it as ‘Albo’.
A delighted Caporn later tweeted: ‘Can confirm: WA’s GST deal was on my right arm. Not confirmed: tattoo parlor date.’
Journalist Dylan Caporn posted a photo on X of his arm signed by Anthony Albanese promising not to change WA’s GST rate
Liberal Senator Hollie Hughes also questioned Albanese’s credibility when it comes to promises on taxes.
“I think it’s fortunate that no journalist has tattooed, ‘no change in the third tax cut,’” Ms. Hughes said.
“The Prime Minister was caught lying to the Australian people more than 100 times about phase three tax cuts.
“I hope that pen isn’t permanent because you can’t trust anything this Prime Minister says.”
The GST changes introduced by the previous federal coalition government are very valuable to WA as they have more than doubled its share from retaining about 30 per cent of what it collected to 70 per cent.
On Monday, Albanese said his broken promise on the third tax cuts was “not an easy decision” and his promise on WA’s GST should be believed.
Not everyone was a fan of the Prime Minister’s tattoo stunt after he recently broke an election promise on tax cuts
The stage three backflip “was the right decision, for the right reasons, at the right time,” he said.
“I went to the National Press Club and said, for economic policy reasons I’ve changed my mind on the tax cuts.
“Peter Dutton changed his mind for political reasons.”
As reporters peppered Mr Albanese with questions about how his promise on tax differed from his GST promise, he said there were no economic circumstances this time that would change his mind.