Rudd urges opposition to back stimulus

CANBERRA, Australia, Feb. 6 (UPI) -- Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd urged the leader of the parliamentary opposition Friday to demonstrate "national leadership" by backing his stimulus plan.

Rudd called on Malcolm Turnbull to promise to support his $42 billion Australian ($27 billion U.S.) package in the Senate next week, The Australian reported.

"Only Mr. Turnbull stands in the road," Rudd said. "Therefore I would say to Mr. Turnbull and the Liberal party, get out of the road of the government getting on with the job of nation-building and supporting jobs at a time of national economic emergency."

The Green Party has criticized Rudd's plan from the left, calling for more money for jobless benefits, more aid for the poor and more spending on environmentally friendly projects. Rudd heads the Labor Party.

Treasury officials supported Rudd's plan before a Senate committee hearing Thursday night.

"Given the macro-economic circumstances confronting the Australian economy, there was a clear case, and there is a clear case, for a very substantial fiscal stimulus to be delivered to the Australian economy before unemployment starts to rise," said Treasury Secretary Ken Henry.