Nick Sherry (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you for the question. The stimulus is divided into three categories—that is, short, medium and long term. We have already seen a significant proportion of what I describe as the short-term stimulus—namely, the cash payments. As I understand it, they peaked in the June quarter. In the September quarter we will see further cash payments in a variety of forms. In the medium to longer term, our stimulus provides for important investments in infrastructure areas such as ports, roads and broadband and other important economic investments. That is the nature of the stimulus in the short to medium term. It is designed to phase down those cash payments. That is an important part of the stimulus.

As to the exact dollar proportion of the stimulus spent as at today, I do not have that figure in front of me, Senator Coonan. I am not aware of whether your claimed figure of, I think, $42 billion is correct, so I am more than happy to take that on notice and come back to you with a precise answer. There will obviously be an opportunity, I think next Monday, to question Dr Henry about the stimulus package. (Time expired)