New evidence has emerged that the Government’s stimulus-package spending is heavily weighted towards Labor marginal seats, sparking allegations of election pork-barrelling.
Claims the stimulus is being used to get Kevin Rudd re-elected co-incide with Government admissions that cashed-up New Zealanders and other foreigners can use the First Home Owner Boost to buy holiday homes in Australia.
Liberal Senator Scott Ryan has used apolitical data from the Parliamentary Library and the Australian Electoral Commission to analyse the seat-by-seat distribution of stimulus money, concluding it is overwhelmingly Labor seats that benefit.
Inner-metro seats held by Labor receive 3 1/2 times as much as seats held by the Coalition — $3.5 million compared with less than $1 million.
Labor seats in outer-metro areas receive almost double what Coalition seats receive — $5.6 million to $2.9 million.