The Productivity Commission (PC), Australia’s independent economic advisory body, has issued a formal response to recent criticisms from Western Australian Premier Roger Cook. The conflict stems from a recent PC report that characterized the current GST (Goods and Services Tax) revenue-sharing arrangement—which provides significant financial benefits to Western Australia—as a costly mistake for the national economy.

In response to the report, Premier Cook publicly dismissed the commission’s findings, labeling the report as "deceitful" and referring to the commissioners as "east coast clowns." Angela Jackson, a productivity commissioner and co-author of the report, addressed these remarks during a public statement. Jackson emphasized that while the commission encourages rigorous debate regarding its economic assessments, the Premier’s rhetoric moved beyond policy disagreement into personal attacks. She stated that such comments had "crossed a line" regarding the professional conduct expected in public discourse.

While the commission maintains that its role is to provide objective, evidence-based advice, the backlash from Western Australian leadership highlights the ongoing political tension surrounding the GST distribution formula. The state government has consistently defended the current deal as essential for its economic stability, while the commission argues that the current structure creates national inefficiencies. The commission has not indicated it will retract its findings, despite the Premier's characterization of the work as dishonest.