Now we know what Labors "roll-back" means: stealing the revenue from the States and keeping it all for themselves.
Labors policy document Platform 2000 promises to "Maintain a system of general purpose funding to the States and Territories which provides adequate funding for their needs."
What Labor does not promise is to pay the States the growth revenue of Goods and Services Tax.
Funding for public hospitals, public schools, and roads would therefore be cut by a Federal Labor Government which will not commit to pay GST revenue to the States and Territories.
Under present policy both the rate and base of GST are locked in, and can only be changed with the agreement of every State and Territory.
What Labor would do is remove that lock-in mechanism, making it possible for the Labor Party to increase both the rate and base.
States and Territories have for many years pleaded for a guaranteed source of revenue which would grow in line with the economy and provide a secure form of revenue.
On 1 July this became a reality. If Labor is ever elected this would be abolished.