Primary schools around the country are set to become building sites if Prime Minister Rudd‘s economic stimulus package goes through. The government plans to spend 14.7 billion dollars on upgrading facitiies. Good news for schools but are new gyms, halls and carpets the highest priority for an education system usually painted as being in crisis? Angelo Gavriolakis from the Australian Education Union says buildings and teacher shortages are separate issues and the money is very welcome. Gary Le Duff from the SA Independent schools Association says private schools deserve their share, and Primary principal Dennis Harris is just happy that his school will finally get the gym it has been saving for.

Whether the package is a vote winner is one thing, but have either of the major parties got it right when it comes to dealing with economic crisis? Economist Steve Keen has been warning of the crisis for some time and has been keeping tabs on the world economies, and our own, on his website, "Debtwatch". The Wire asked him whether he think the Rudd government has got it right... Featured in story: Steve Keen - Associate Professor of Economics and Finance at the University of Sydney.

The Coalition and The Greens will be under pressure to pass Kevin Rudd's economic stimulus package so that tax payers will get their $950 bonus payments ASAP. It's a clever strategy by the Rudd governement to get agreement from opposition parties - but will it work? Malcolm Turnbull has already indicated he will block the bill stating that while it's not going to be a popular move, "it's the right thing to do". So where does this leave Malcolm Turnbull in the popularity stakes? Featured in story: Haydon Manning - Associate Professor of Political and International Studies at Flinders University.

With the majority of benefits set to flow from Kevin Rudd's second stimulus package being for taxpayers, it seems the unemployed have been left out in the cold yet again. With the number of those on the Dole forecast to hit 300 thousand, what hope is there for those already struggling, and those who will lose their jobs? Mark Leahy, Director of Welfare Rights speaks about these forgotten people, and the effect of this economic downturn on them.