QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE

Senator BABET (Victoria—United Australia Party Whip) (14:51): My question is to the Minister representing the Treasurer. Minister, the Australian Financial Review recently reported: The federal and state government spending splurge has hit the highest level since the end of World War II … … … … More than half of voters now rely on governments for most of their income, through public-sector wages, welfare benefits or subsidies … … … … Four in five jobs created in the past two years have been in the non-market sector … My question is: is our economy just one giant taxpayer funded vote-buying rort?