Government Fails to Pass Budget, Opposition Calls for an Election

^{BY JAMES JAMESONSON}

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The Liberal Government has suffered an embarrassing defeat this week, with their budget failing to pass the House of Representatives. It also failed to pass a bill to raise the Goods and Services Tax (GST) to 15%, whilst succeeding on a bill to reduce personal income tax.

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The Treasurer, u/PineappleCrusher_, has failed to pass his budget through the House.

The budget bill - Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 2019-2020 - failed after a 7-7 tie. In the event of a tie in the House of Representatives, the bill is thrown out. The United Democrats, SDP and independent MP for Nicholls, u/showstealer1829, all voted against the bill, with the Liberals, Nationals and independent MP for Robertson, u/Gregor_The_Beggar, voting in support. There were no abstentions.

The bill to increase the GST to 15% - Treasury Laws Amendment (Reforming Goods & Services Tax) Bill 2019 - also failed, this time with a larger margin - 4 Ayes - 9 Noes. In this instance, only the Liberals and independent MP for Robertson, u/Gregor_The_Beggar voting in support of this tax increase. There were no abstentions.

The only bill to pass the House was the bill to reduce personal income tax - Treasury Laws Amendment (Lower Taxation Burden) Bill 2019 - with the Liberals, Nationals and both independent MPs voting in support of the bill, with the United Democrats and SDP voting against. The result was 8 Ayes, 6 Noes, with no abstentions.

With this massive defeat, the Leader of the Opposition and United Democrats leader, u/dyljam, called on the Government to call an election immediately.

"The Government cannot pass a supply bill through the House. We view this as a de facto loss of confidence in the government, and we call on the Prime Minister to call an election immediately, to be held in the new year," he said.

National Review reached out to constitutional professor from the University of Wittenoom, Jy Gough, to discuss what a result meant for an incumbent government.

"It's a difficult situation," she assessed. "The Government has not run out of money, due to previous budgets having been passed and still in effect. Nonetheless, it clearly means the Government does not have supply in the parliament, which is a requisite for all governments to be formed."

"However, I think we will avert a major constitutional crisis in this event, given an election is due to be called soon anyway, regardless of whether the budget passed or not."

An election is expected to be called shortly, to be held early in the new year.