Greiner calls for debate on GST Former NSW premier Nick Greiner believes the perilous public finance conditions facing state governments demand a review of the GST. Mr Greiner, the co-author of a government review of the distribution of GST revenue, says the first step should be a fair dinkum debate. The political reality though, is that changing the GST rate of 10 per cent and extending its base is dependent on the agreement of all the states and territories, who are the beneficiaries of the tax, he says. "But we are in a very, very difficult unprecedented public finance situation in Australia, as is the world," Mr Greiner told ABC radio on Tuesday. To simply say, well it's too hard, let's not do it, doesn't seem to me the right thing to do. Mr Greiner said it was juvenile to say the GST should be frozen "forever and a day." Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says the GST won't be off the agenda of a planned tax review if the coalition wins the federal election on September 14. But any changes to the consumption tax would require an electoral mandate, he has vowed. Mr Greiner said the GST rate in Australia was lower than three-quarters of comparable countries and was the only one frozen. Most countries had changed their rate, either up or down, in the past decade. "I don't think there's any doubt that all the states are in really quite perilous public finance conditions," Mr Greiner said. This isn't a Liberal or Labor thing. ACT Chief Minister Katie Gallagher is backing calls for a review. The Labor leader says the GST is a tried, tested and efficient tax which should be considered in any review of taxation. "The commonwealth has the capacity to raise revenue through efficient taxes," she told the Canberra Times. The GST is one of them and as things like health continue to grow, they're going to have to look at how they generate their own revenue for distribution back to the states and territories. The ACT is especially reliant on GST revenue as it lacks an income stream from industries such as mining. Revenue forecasts from last week's federal budget point to a $49 million reduction in GST payments to the ACT over the next four years. The former Rudd government excluded consideration of the GST as part of the Henry tax review in 2010. Prime Minister Julia Gillard says federal Labor is not planning any further tax reform.