Aug 27, 2026 – 11.41amWest Australian Premier Roger Cook has refused to apologise for labelling senior Productivity Commission staff “east coast clowns” during a fierce debate over the future of his state’s share of goods and services tax revenue.Cook slammed the commission earlier this month over an interim report that found WA’s special GST deal was a costly mistake that should be unwound, describing the recommendations as “dodgy, deceitful” and “dumb”.Subscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Fetching latest articles