An opposition does its job when it rightly questions a controversial bill before parliament where there is good reason to do so, and if not done purely in the interests of 'opposing'. There is certainly room for compromise and negotiation in the proposals being put forward by the Rudd government.

Turnbull has a habit of posturing and comes across as insincere so it is often difficult to assess how genuine his motives in putting forward his party's opposition to the package.

I think stimulus in the form of handouts is not good politics and could be seen as pork barrelling. Handouts that will only stimulate 'flash-in-the-pan' spending spree will only register a blip in the retail sector.

While pensioners and carers were long overdue for some financial relief in the pre-Christmas package, handouts to families who remain employed and still earning a reasonable income was a waste of taxpayer money.

Stimulus should, in my view, stick to stimulating the economy and many have made suggestions already in other threads. eg. spending on much needed infrastructure to ensure jobs, contract to Australian companies (as Arjay said), stimulate growth in the renewable energy sector and don't play up to knee-jerk populist expectations in making unreasonable cuts to the public service.

Dear Arjay,

We've been paying for the past debts of previous Australian
governments in far lesser financial crises. The PM's bail out
package is proposing to encourage infrastructure projects that
the States have already willingly accepted and planned for, that
are now being held up by the Liberal Party.

The Liberal Premier of WA is willing to give 100% co-operation to
the Government, however the process is being held up in the
Senate by the Greens and the Independents who want to have a
better understanding of the total process (as well as push
their own political agendas). We will have to wait until
next Thursday to find out their final decision.

Dear Belly,

I fully agree, tax cuts benefit the rich who constitute
a small percentage of the population and are pre-dominant
supporters of the Liberal Party.

The Government's bail-out package is in the interest of all
Australians, be they working and paying taxes or heading into
unemployment lines.

Dear runner,

The aim of the bail-out package is to revive the national
health care, education infra-structure system which has been
run-down by the previous Liberal Government over the past
twelve years.

Dear Antonios,

I've been watching Turnbull's rise to power within the
Liberal Party and it appears his present political stance
is far more conservative than his previous more liberal
views when he started the Republican movement.
I would assume that in order to maintain his current
leadership with the Liberal Party he is catering to the
whims and dictates of the conservatives.

All you have to do is watch "Question Time," on TV and
watch Turnbull's wry smile to Government proposals which
to the keen observer would signal he agrees, but has to
humour the Party.

Dear RobP,

Call me a cynic but it strikes me that
Turnbull is always looking out for No.1,
i.e. - Turnbull. Otherwise he'd lose the
leadership.

It has been pointed out by pundits that
Peter Costello is waiting on the back bench
for Turnbull to make an 'uneducated' move.

Rudd picked up on that fact at a recent 'Question
Time.'

Dear Pelly,

The PM is giving a small assistance to families in need.
The bulk of the package is going towards hospitals, schools,
and infra-structure which the states are ready to proceed
with as soon as the Senate approves.

As Olivier Blanchard, chief economist of the International
Monetary Fund, said in The Economist last week:

"Do too much rather than too little. Delays in financial
packages have cost a lot already. Further rounds of
debate will stoke uncertainty and make things worse."

As pointed out in The Age newspaper, 7th Feb. 2009.
These are not normal times. When the International Monetary
Fund urges governments to do whatever it takes to avoid a
depression, you have to be worried.

“The Government's bail-out package is in the interest of all Australians…”

Is it Foxy? Can we be sure?

If it is, is it being conducted in the best possible manner?

If the situation is really so urgent, then why isn’t a lot more than 42b $ being spent?

I deplore Rudd’s rather dictatorial style of just coming out with a plan and telling us that this is how it will be. He really needs to consult widely with experts on major decisions like this.

He’s not an expert in this field. Neither is his small band of advisers.

Why can’t he set up a taskforce to solicit the opinions of academics and business people, so that the best possible approach can be determined? This could be done very quickly. Then he’d have the backing that would engender the support of the general community.

Turnbull was right not to back the bailout package in its current form. It was reasonable for him to say the Libs support it in principle but that the details needs to be much clearer and we need to have much more confidence that it will work in the way that it is supposed to. But I would have preferred him to have taken a harder line and demanded that the whole concept be very carefully scrutinised to determine whether it is actually reasonable or not.

Dear Foxy,

I wouldn't call you a cynic for having that view. There are lots of other people who have a similar view about Turnbull, so I daresay there's some truth to the claim ... perhaps in his past life? But there has to be some ego and competitiveness in an effective PM. Would you put your trust in a skinny chef?

My view is coloured by what I have heard him say over the past 10 or so years. I think there's a decent person in there, but also a strong person if he needs to be. Call me starry-eyed, but I think it's people like Turnbull who are the ones that will make the most difference in public life when they get their chance in the future. It's exactly those with potential who have not had a chance to shine in the past, that are the ones worth perservering with IMO.

Costello's had his chance and achieved little.

Dear Ludwig,

Because of the seriousness and gravity of the
financial crisis the Prime Minister has to act
fast, other wise it will be too late for any
bail-out. His advisers are not just a small band
of people - I believe they include economists
from the International Monetary Fund and
The Reserve Bank.

Dear RobP,

I also liked Turnbull and the political strength
that he showed in the past. I had such great
expectations of him, that's why I'm disappointed
in his current stand - which I feel is merely
tactics, and doesn't suit him. But let's wait and
see what tomorrow brings. I agree with you about
Costello.