After eighteen years, the GST on women’s sanitary items will finally be ditched. The move will lower the price of products once deemed a “luxury item”.

Georgie Nichols reports.

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From January next year, the 10% tax on tampons, pads and other sanitary items will be removed.

Josh Frydenberg, Treasurer: “This is a long overdue reform which will put more money into the hip pockets of Australian households.”

Dominic Perrottet, NSW Treasurer: “There is widespread support to remove that tax. The cost to New South Wales is around $10 million a year, but for a good cause and I think it’s something that should’ve been done some time ago.”

But its not the only movement on GST.

Treasurers from across Australia will meet in Melbourne next week to discuss the federal government’s GST payments to states.

Josh Frydenberg, Treasurer: “The existing system was not sustainable in the long term and its integrity was threatened.”

The Commonwealth will add nine billion dollars to the GST, offering more to Western Australia which has lagged behind other states in funding.

Queensland’s Treasurer doesn’t think that’s fair, saying the state will lose hundreds of millions of dollars in the new carve up.

The Commonwealth is unconcerned.

Josh Frydenberg, Treasurer: “What we’ve come up with is a better plan. A better plan that will leave every state and territory better off.”

Georgie Nichols, QUT News.