Joe Hockey (North Sydney, Liberal Party, Shadow Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Finance and Deregulation. I refer the minister for finance to the statement by the Prime Minister at the Lord Mayor’s Business Breakfast in Perth on 21 January this year, where the Prime Minister said:

Fiscal policy should not complicate the task of monetary policy.

It should make the job of the Reserve Bank easier, not harder.

That is why the Government is committed to strengthening the budget position as well as improving the quality of public spending.

Given that the Reserve Bank has indicated that it will unwind its stimulatory monetary policy and given that the Prime Minister insists on spending the government’s stimulus in full, will the minister now confirm that spending and interest rate policies are actually working against each other?

See this speech in context