Stimulus package moves to the Senate, but delays inevitable

The Rudd Government’s $42 billion stimulus package has moved one stop closer to being made law after 15 hours of debate and an early morning vote saw the package pass the House of Representatives.

While the Coalition remained steadfast in their opposition to the package, Labor’s majority in the Lower House ensured the bills would pass.

The bills will now go before the Senate this afternoon, where Labor will need to convince Greens senators, Senator Stephen Fielding from the Family First party and independent Senator Nick Xenophon.

But the Government’s initial deadline of getting the package through Parliament by Thursday night will not be met.

The Government had been keen to get the bills passed in order to give Centrelink time to meet a March deadline for making bonus payments of at least $950 to families with school-age children, and drought-stricken farmers.

But the Opposition, the Greens and Fielding and Xenophon banded together to force a Senate inquiry into the package.

Greens leader Bob Brown was particularly incensed after the Government told the Greens there was a typo involving more than $2 billion in the defence housing bill, and then said there was no error 24 hours later.

“Either way, it’s an indication the Government has moved with haste and that the Senate has a job in making sure that this legislation, which has a $42 billion price tag, has no mistakes,” Brown said in a statement.

It is expected this inquiry will start on today and run for most of next week.

This means a Senate vote on the package could potentially be delayed until Friday 13 February.

While SmartCompany readers have backed Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull’s decision to oppose the plan, business lobby groups including the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Institute of Chartered Accountants, the Australian Trucking Industry, the Housing Industry Association, and the Australian Industry Group have urged the Senate to pass the package as quickly as possible.

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