The $2.45 billion home insulation scheme and $16billion program to build school infrastructure were key components of the economic stimulus package to help shield Australia from the worst of last year's economic downturn.

The insulation program was axed after it was linked with four deaths and more than 100 house fires, while the Opposition argues the ''Building the Education Revolution'' program has failed to deliver value for money.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott wrote yesterday to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd requesting a judicial inquiry into both programs that he said involved a ''scandalous waste of taxpayers' money''.

''There's the pink batts program under which some 1.1 million homes have been insulated but almost a quarter, 240,000 of those insulations are dodgy or dangerous,'' Mr Abbott said. ''All of the insulations will now have to be inspected, many will have to be ripped out, hundreds of millions of dollars will be wasted rectifying the bad job that the Rudd Government has done.

''Then, of course, there's the schools halls program, the so-called Building the Education Revolution program. The Government has spent $16billion of taxpayers' money to get, if we are lucky, perhaps $8billion worth of value. Now it's just not good enough.''

Mr Abbott said a judicial inquiry led by a retired senior judge who should investigate two things - if proper procedures were followed and if the programs delivered value for money.

''It's very important that Australia avoid a recession but even a cause as important as avoiding a recession does not justify waste of taxpayers' money,'' Mr Abbott said.

The Government rejected the request, calling it a stunt.

For more on this story, see the print edition of today's Canberra Times.