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Never has $10 a year caused so much friction between a treasurer and a prime minister, let alone catapulted to the forefront of tax policy a word most men cannot bring themselves to say.
"Why are you taxing my period?" is the question that has 86,000 women nodding in agreement. Brandishing her petition, and a giant tampon, activist Subeta Vimalaraha asked a surprised Treasurer Joe Hockey on Monday's Q&A program if he agreed sanitary products are essential.
Mr Hockey, confronted by a giant tampon and the thought of saying the word on national television sought to cover his embarrassment by instantly agreeing.
"Do I think sanitary products are essential? I think so. I think so," he said before hastily promising to ask the state and territories to have the GST removed.
But how much tampon tax are women actually paying? Tampon producers recommend they be changed every 3-4 hours. So assuming a menstrual cycle lasts up to seven days and based on a tampon costing up to 21 cents each, it turns out women are paying just over $10 a year in GST.
Even at a slightly higher price, 24 cents each, women could expect to pay 92 cents a month in GST or $10.99 a year.
(These calculations do not include the tax that would be paid on other sanitary products.)
"Tamponomics" has split the Prime Minister and Treasurer and was raised again in Parliament on Wednesday. Prime Minister Tony Abbott appeared to dismiss the likelihood of removing the GST on what he calls "health products" given the states would be unlikely to agree to give up the revenue.
But he said he would "entertain" the idea if the states presented a united front on the issue.
"Joe was asked a question on Q&A by some activists and he said that he had some sympathy with their position," Mr Abbott told reporters in the Canberra suburb of Fyshwick.
"In the end what happens to the GST is wholly and solely a matter for the states and territories.
"I'm very happy to entertain a request from the states and territories if they can find a united position.
"If the states do decide that they want to narrow the tax base, obviously there are some revenue implications for the states and so be it."
Mr Hockey has asked his department to find out exactly how much revenue the states would stand to lose and remained defiant.
Speaking to Melbourne radio 3AW, Mr Hockey said the different treatment for tampons and condoms, is unfair.
"My view is it does sound unfair that GST applies in that area but does not apply to condoms and a range of other, not dissimilar products. I'm perfectly happy to put it to the states, we'll give the states the numbers on it and go from there," Mr Hockey told Neil Mitchell.
Ms Vimalarajah will be travelling to Parliament on Thursday and will be accompanied by a "giant dancing tampon" to continue her campaign against the "bloody unfair" tax.
The spectacle could turn even the driest economic rational (who would argue for the GST to be imposed on all goods and services and not reversed) to turn to….water.
Increase the GST
Senior Liberal Arthur Sinodinos told Sky News on Wednesday afternoon the debate should not be about reducing the GST base but broadening it.
"I think the base should be broadened, yes."
He said the current conversation showed "the problem when people are being ambushed on individual items.
"With tax reform, you've got to look at packages," he said.
"Joe is a good Treasurer. He made a judgment on the spot that he should respond in a particular way.
"My point is we should be looking at tax reform as a package and I think the government or someone should be putting together a package covering indirect tax, income tax cuts … as partially a way of funding it."
He said the Prime Minister, by including GST in the tax review, had demonstrated he was "prepared to contemplate change" but the states had to be prepared to negotiate.
"My advice to the states and territories is to go to that COAG retreat with the Prime Minister in July and nut out a deal across all of this, a cross party deal, a cross political deal, which everybody then can sell to the Australian people," Senator Sinodinos said.
"The states and territories should show they can put political skin in the game."
With Lisa Cox
