Nick Sherry (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Superannuation and Corporate Law) Share this | Hansard source

I know that people do not like this—particularly the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Senator Minchin, who was the finance minister—but the Department of Finance and Deregulation have provided data on the use of discretionary grants under the former Liberal government. Let us have a look at some of the data and the blowouts this has led to, because this budget explosion in expenditure has put upward pressure on inflation and interest rates in this country. The figures are actually incredible. I do not know how Senator Minchin let this through to the keeper. We are looking not at an increase in discretionary expenditure of 50 per cent, 100 per cent or 200 per cent but at a staggering 547 per cent explosion in discretionary grants. Liberal and National Party ministers—those opposite—when they were in government approved more than $9.1 billion of discretionary grants between 2005 and— (Time expired)