The $882 million tax ‘refund’ to News Corporation is a lot on money.

Browsing through the budget papers puts some context on what $882 million can buy.

• It is more than the total funding for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health ($851 million).

• It is more than the total funding for blood and organ donation services ($772 million).

• It is three-quarters of the amount spent on home care for the aged ($1.205 billion).

• It is a little under the amount spent of disability employment services ($928 million).

• It is a quarter of the total amount spent on public housing ($3.361 billion).

• It is half the amount spent on the ABC, SBS and other broadcasting ($1.761 billion).

• It is two-thirds the amount spending on the research and development tax incentive ($1.410 billion).

• It is just under half the annual budget for capital expenditure for Defence ($1.890 billion in 2013-14).

• It is two-thirds the amount the government spends on assistance to States for skills and workforce development ($1.409 billion).

• It is three times the amount spent on school student assistance ($293 million).

• It is almost five times the amount spent on tourism promotion ($189 million).

• It is three times the amount spent on settlement services for migrants and refugees ($288 million).

• That will do, but you get the drift.

[All data from the budget documents and relate to 2013-14]