The region’s female health advocate has called for the GST to be abolished on tampons and associated products, while Wannon MP Dan Tehan said broadening the tax would be a simple way of addressing the issue.

GST has applied to tampons since the retail tax was introduced in July 2000, although other medically-related products such as condoms and nicotine patches are exempt.

Treasurer Joe Hockey said this week that GST should be removed from female sanitary products with several states, including Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas, backing the change.

Women’s Health Barwon South West executive officer Emily Lee-Ack said it was time to correct a historic error and make tampons GST exempt.

“Most women would be supportive of removing the GST on tampons,” Ms Lee-Ack said. 

“Exemptions are made on are a range of products that are considered a necessity and there’s no question that this is the case here.

“I noticed today that the Queensland premier (Annastacia Palaszczuk) said she would support these changes, as have other states. 

“It’s fantastic that this issue is finally being addressed.”

Mr Tehan said the tampon tax exemption was a case in point for why it was necessary to broaden the GST.

“Ultimately, this exemption highlights the problems with the GST as it currently stands and why we need reform,” Mr Tehan said. 

“Earlier this year, I called for the GST to be broadened to cover all goods and services because there is a lot of confusion about which products are taxed and which aren’t.”

Mr Tehan wrote an opinion piece published in Fairfax newspapers earlier this year which contended that broadening the GST base would generate $21.6 billion in extra revenue annually and “enable further serious reductions in direct taxes”.

A deal between the Howard government and the Australian Democrats allowed for a range of GST exemptions to fresh food and vegetables, among other essential items, but female sanitary products were not included at the time.

Labor pushed for a tampon tax exemption in 2000 but the Rudd government dismissed any changes to the GST six years ago.