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

As I have said, the Rudd Labor government has acted decisively and I have referred to our latest stimulus package. It is important to act decisively and in the best interests of Australians. As we speak, the first of the stimulus payments are being delivered. Centrelink, from last week, started to deposit the $900 single-income family bonus for those families with a single income, which Centrelink calls family tax benefit B. This will benefit approximately 1.5 billion families across Australia. In addition Centrelink has started to process the $950 back-to-school bonus designed to support 2.8 million school-aged children. Further, the government has started to roll out the farmers hardship bonus for farmers receiving exceptional circumstance incomes support. This is yet another measure that the Liberal-National Party opposes—and I draw the attention of the Senate to the National Party opposing additional support to drought-stricken farmers— (Time expired)