Commenting on the future goods and services tax (GST) increase, SMU Dean of Students and Professor of Sociology (Practice) Paulin Straughan said, “"It's a brilliant move... bad news is delivered now but it's not going to hurt yet and it may be tweaked." She added that the GST is a fairer tax but worries about the impact on the middle class as the offset GST voucher uses a “crude” measure based on housing type.