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

My question is to the Treasurer. I refer the Treasurer to media comments today by David Koch and Libby Koch. I quote an article titled ‘Wind back stimulus or we’ll cop higher interest rates’. They say:

IT IS pretty laughable that Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is using the recommendations of the International Monetary Fund to not start winding back the stimulus package now to prevent our economy overheating and forcing up interest rates.

Sure the IMF sounds flash and is meant to be an international economic think tank but it is hopeless when it comes to making forecasts …

The Rudd government was commendably quick with its stimulus package to fight the downturn but now it has to be quick to wind it back or face the prospect of an economy which overheats and forces the Reserve Bank to come to the rescue and raise interest rates.

I say to the Treasurer: when will the reckless spending stop?

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