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

Of course there will be an audit and compliance process, Senator. Surely you have been in the Senate long enough, and been to enough estimates committees—as I have—to know that there will be a strong audit and compliance oversight of this particular project. I look forward to sitting in estimates in November, when I have no doubt you and others will ask lots and lots of questions about this particular issue. What I would argue is that, fundamentally, the Labor government has acted decisively in the face of the worst economic and financial crisis the world has ever seen. What I do know is that this particular program, and other elements of our stimulus program, have prevented 200,000 people becoming unemployed in this country. What I do know is that you opposed this economic stimulus. You would have seen another 200,000 people go onto the jobs scrapheap in this country by opposing this— (Time expired)