Chris Evans (WA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Brown for the questions. Senator Brown, my information is that there will be five bills introduced to the House of Representatives tomorrow. I will check if that is not correct, but I think that it is five bills. They will seek to give effect to the package, the Nation Building and Jobs Plan, announced by the Prime Minister today. I understand that they will be brought on in the House of Representatives for debate tomorrow.

In terms of when they reach the Senate and when we will have the opportunity to debate them, I cannot give precise details other than to indicate that it is my intention to talk to the leader of each of the parties and the Independents this afternoon about the question of the bills and the time lines required for implementation of each of those bills. Some of them will be time sensitive because of the operative dates that are required to implement payments. A number of them provide tax bonuses et cetera. Part of the whole stimulus package is designed to try to get that money into the economy in the second half of this financial year and to get that money to help support jobs and growth in the economy quickly. That is why the package has been designed in that way.

So there are tight time lines involved. Clearly the Senate will want to consider the legislation and we will enter into discussions with the opposition and the minor parties and Independents about how best we manage that. I have already had a quick chat to Senator Minchin across the table, but we will formally do that this afternoon or this evening. We have been constrained a bit by the fact that the package was not announced until just prior to question time, but obviously we will want to engage with you in discussion about those matters. (Time expired)