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

Yes, who was finance minister? It was Senator Minchin. The number of discretionary grants approved by Howard ministers—and presided over by Senator Minchin, then finance minister—increased from 12,006 in 2004 to 49,060 in 2007. As I have said before in this place, it is a pity Senator Minchin did not put as much energy into overseeing grants as he is now putting into his interjections in this place. The annual cost of discretionary grants grew from $729 million in 2004 to more than $4.5 billion in 2007. (Time expired)