Senator SIBRAA -I refer the Leader of the Government in the Senate to an article by David Potts in the Australian Financial Review of 14 November entitled 'The pressure is on for higher State taxation'. Is it a fact, as stated in the article, that most States have this year brought down Budgets which significantly increase their recurrent expenditure in real terms and that if they wish to maintain their current levels of services they will have to start imposing their own taxation? Will the Commonwealth's approach to the Premiers Conference on 7 December be directed at facilitating and encouraging the introduction of State taxation?