Opposition infrastructure and federal-state relations spokesman Andrew Robb dismissed the meeting as nothing more than ''business as usual''.

''COAG confirms the growing impression of this Rudd Government, as a Government of all talk and little or no action,'' Mr Robb said.

''The five-year health funding agreement, welcome as it is, has all the hallmarks of a host of such agreements, across many policy areas, over the last decade.

''Furthermore, despite a GST windfall of $3.2billion to the states and territories in the last year alone, the various state hospital systems have gone backwards, none more so than in NSW.''

Mr Robb also continued the Opposition's attack on Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Treasurer Wayne Swan for ''talking Australia into a recession''.

''There is no inevitability about a deficit ... but run the white flag up now, then it will lead to a deficit, it will lead to a recession.''

The Federal Government is now considering bringing forward tax cuts if its $10.4billion economic injection doesn't give the economy the boost it needs.

''What the Government will do is look at the impact of that on the economy through the end of this year, and through the early part of next year,'' Mr Swan said.

Mr Rudd has already warned the budget may have to go into deficit if the deteriorating global economy impacts further on Australian economic growth. But, paradoxically, the economy is still predicted to grow between 1 and 2 per cent next year.

The Federal Treasurer emphasised yesterday how much of the money committed by the Federal Government to the states and territories would be spent next year in an effort to boost the economy. ''There certainly is a weighting of money in the first year,'' Mr Swan said.

Of the $15.1billion of new funds committed on Saturday, $3.5billion will be spent in the current financial year, including a one-off $750 million boost to increase the hospital emergency department services; $1.7billion will be spent in 2009-10.''

Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard reiterated Mr Rudd's claim that the latest spending package would create 133,000 new jobs.

''This is about new money, new resources for the states and territories in vital areas like health care and schools.''

The Opposition's attack on the COAG deal extended to the $64.4billion health-care package. It said that the additional expenditure was ''meaningless'' without a comprehensive overhaul of public hospital management.

Federal Opposition health spokesman Peter Dutton said, ''The premiers, Nathan Rees and Anna Bligh and others, would be rubbing their hands together because they've got a bucketful of money and they're going to continue down the same failed path of hospital management.

''Just throwing good money after bad with a glossy press conference is not going to provide good health outcomes.''