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Letter to Anthony Albanese 20 Jan 2023
Terms and Documents
Discussion Paper Annexure A
Annexure B
Pork-barrelling
-
Ending it
146.
Pork-barrelling is
unfair and wasteful. Here’s a plan to end it
The Conversation - Aug 22, 2022
"So how can we put a stop
to the seemingly irresistible temptation to roll out ever more grants?
Let’s
start with an open, competitive, merit-based process for allocating government
grants that establishes clear guardrails around ministerial discretion.
A better process for allocation and oversight of grants
Ministers should be able to establish
grant programs and define the selection criteria,
but they should not be involved in choosing grant recipients. Shortlisting and
selecting grant recipients is an administrative function for the relevant
department or agency.
A multi-party standing
parliamentary committee should oversee compliance and interrogate any minister
or public official who deviates from the rules. And funding for federal and
state auditors-general should be increased to enable wider and more frequent
auditing of grant programs.
A strong and
well-resourced integrity commission is the last line of defence against pork-barrelling.
Better processes and oversight should significantly reduce the opportunities and
incentives for governments to engage in pork-barrelling in the first place.
If pork-barrelling
continues, an integrity commission may choose to investigate. A recent
report from the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption
concluded that pork-barrelling “can under certain circumstances involve serious
breaches of public trust and conduct that amounts to corrupt conduct”.
Better processes and oversight of grant funding, alongside
the other recommendations in our New
Politics series of reports, would lay the foundations for a new way
of doing politics in Australia – one that safeguards the public interest from
political interests."
Improve
the
grants
process
1.
All grants should be allocated through an open, competitive, merit-based
assessment process. Expected outcomes and selection criteria should be
published, and selection processes documented.
2.
Ministers should decide grant programs not grant recipients: the process
of shortlisting applicants and selecting grant recipients is an
administrative function for the relevant department or agency.
3.
If a minister is unhappy with the recommended recipients, the minister can
redefine and republish the selection criteria but should not intervene in
shortlisting or selection.
4.
Any exception to the new process should be reported to the finance
minister, who in turn should report to parliament at least quarterly. It
should also be published by the relevant department alongside the outcome of
the grant round.
Strengthen
oversight
of
public
spending
5.
A
multi-party standing
parliamentary committee should
oversee compliance with grant rules.
6.
Funding for
federal and state audit offices should be increased and
their budgets
should be
determined at arms-length
from the government of the day.
7.
A
strong and
well-resourced integrity commission should
act as
a last line of defence in investigating pork-barrelling.
Make grants
administration more
transparent
8.
Federal and
state finance departments should publish annual reports
covering all
grant programs, including compliance
with the process outlined here.
9.
State and territory
governments should publish
grant data
more consistently, through a
portal such
as the
federal government’s
GrantConnect.
47.
The huge $28 billion cost of transport infrastructure cost blowouts
-
Grattan Institute,
-
Marion Terrill -
24 October 2016
"The post-completion report on how a project performed against its costs
and benefits should be published to data.gov.au for all to see. Finally,
if a government is prepared to put up $1 billion or more for a big
project, it should introduce standalone legislation to allow scrutiny
and encourage bipartisanship where it really counts."
154.
"ICAC
finds pork barrelling could be corrupt, recommends grant funding guidelines be
subject to statutory regulation."
155.
Costs blow out on Coalition parking projects funded without full scoping
-
SMH -
Farrah Tomazin
July 1, 2021
156.
New politics Preventing pork-barrelling - Grattan institute - Aug 2022 -
Danielle Wood, Kate Griffiths, and Anika Stobart
159.
Pork barrelling can constitute corrupt conduct and could lead to criminal
charges, ICAC says – The Guardian -
Anne Davies
Mon 1 Aug 2022
"Pork barrelling – the practice of allocating
government grants for partisan political purposes – can constitute corrupt
conduct, the New
South Wales Independent Commission against Corruption has warned,
calling for much stricter rules on
grants.
In its report on pork barrelling in NSW, ICAC said
a minister could be engaging in corrupt conduct
and open to criminal charges if they engage in pork barrelling."
“In circumstances where pork barrelling is serious and willful, it may
constitute conduct so far below acceptable standards as to amount to an abuse of
the public’s trust in the office holder, such that criminal punishment is
warranted,” ICAC said.
163.
A battle to provide suburban railway station car parks has left taxpayers with a
$660 million bill and precious little extra parking - SMH - Shane Wright - 3
July 2021
"A few hours later, the Auditor-General’s office released its report into
the administration of commuter car park projects within the Urban Congestion
Fund, revealing huge problems in the $660 million program.
A nationwide program to reduce “congestion” across suburban Australia
managed to channel most of its cash into a handful of Liberal Party seats
that were more at risk of being won by Labor than overwhelmed by parked
cars.
That single report, plus others over recent months from the Auditor-General,
highlight the widening gap between the rhetoric of restrained spending and
the practices of the federal government."
164.
Factsheet: Pork Barrelling -
The
Institute
of
Internal
Auditors
-
Australia
- 2018
165.
$252 million fund designed to win seats and punish councils, inquiry finds
- SMH - Angus Thompson - 30 March 2021
"A $252 million grants fund handled by the Berejiklian government
was deliberately devised to accommodate pork-barrelling, punish councils who
objected to forced amalgamations, and win seats ahead of the 2019 state
election, an inquiry has found."
166.
Multibillion-dollar federal fund didn’t award money on merit, audit finds
- The Age - Tina Jacks - 28
June 2021
167.
What is the Bridget McKenzie scandal about?
Bridget McKenzie might have to quit
federal cabinet and her deputy leadership of the Nationals over her handling of
a sports grants program. Here's why.
168.
The Regulation of Pork Barrelling in Australia - Susanna Connolly -
BA/LLB (Hons), TC Beirne School of Law, University of Queensland
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