Since the 2019 election we’ve seen the rorting of government funds and community grant money to benefit the Coalition at unprecedented scale. Key examples out of many:
- For the $540 million 2020 Bushfire recovery grants scheme, John Barilaro’s office introduced a $1 million minimum for bushfire grants that effectively denied funding for recommended projects in Labor-held electorates.
- For the $252 million “Stronger Communities Fund”, 95% of the funding went to councils in Coalition held seats. Just a handful of emails between the Premier and Deputy justified the allocation of these grants, while the Premier’s office shredded and digitally deleted approval records to try to cover their tracks.
The Coalition does not deserve to be re-elected. Greens policies on corruption include mandatory, independent scrutiny of all grant program allocations; strengthening protection for whistleblowers; tracking political lobbying; truth in political advertising laws; banning all corporate political donations; introducing new criminal offences for corrupt conduct; and doubling ICAC funding.
The Greens are the only party to not accept corporate donations – which means our policies are free from the influence of fossil fuel executives, big property investors and the gambling industry.
See also a commentary on the Liberals claim to be the best managers of the economy…