Libs to call Albo’s star candidate to appear before grants inquiry

A star Labor candidate is being dragged into a Coalition-led grants inquiry after she secured funding for a women’s group that had some of its members volunteer for her during her state election bid.

A star Labor candidate now vying for the federal seat of Barton will be called before a state parliamentary inquiry over a $50,000 grant she secured for a women’s group that had several volunteer for her during her state election campaign.

While Ashvini Ambihaipahar has not engaged in any wrongdoing, NSW Liberals and several crossbench MPs want her to appear before an inquiry set up into the controversial Labor scheme that enabled its candidates to promise grants in the lead up to the March state election.

Announced by Labor ahead of the 2023 state election, the grants program enabled each MP and candidate across 93 state seats the discretion to nominate projects $400,000 in funding, with the grants being awarded whether or not the candidate won.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese holds a press conference with the Federal Labor Candidate Barton Ashvini Ambihaipahar. Picture: Jeremy Piper

While Ms Ashvini did not manage to win the state of Oatley – held by Liberal MP Mark Coure – the newly-elected Labor government still handed the grant to the Asian Women at Work organisation as part of the controversial Local Small Commitments Allocation (LSCA) scheme.

After the grants were handed out, the NSW Premier’s Department undertook a probity check with some of the emails tabled in state parliament.

An email from November 2023 reveal Ms Ambihaipahar was asked to provide additional information about the work Asian Women at Work did for her, to which she replied: “Phone banked Chinese community based in the seat of Oatley for the 2023 state election”.

She said that members of the organisation had worked in a voluntary capacity for about four hours a day from February 7-9, February 14-16 and “on two days in March”.

Premier’s Department documents confirm a probity officer identified a conflict of interest, but determined there had been “no personal benefit to accrue to the candidate or a family member”.

“The conflict type is categorised as ‘association with an applicant organisation’ and

carries a moderate probity risk,” the department document said.

“This is a perceived risk as the candidate had campaign support by a person from the organisation.

“However this was voluntary only”.

Federal Labor Candidate Barton Ashvini Ambihaipahar. Picture: Jeremy Piper

NSW Liberal MP Chris Rath said Ms Ambihaipahar would be called before a state parliamentary inquiry under way into the scheme, which he claimed was set-up solely for election-winning purposes.

“Anthony Albanese’s captain’s pick in Barton has serious questions to answer about NSW Labor’s pork barrelling scheme,” he said.

Ms Ambihaipahar said the guidelines for the LSCA program were “very strict” and that she had complied with all of them, including the disclosure requirements which were overseen by the “local small commitments program office.”

“The emails discussing this are evidence that the system is robust,” she said.

“I am disgusted the Liberal Party is attacking Asian Women at Work and if they are suggesting this organisation is not worthy of funding, they should explain why.

“Every one of the 93 electorates in NSW are receiving $400,000 in total no matter which way they voted.”

Ms Ambihaipahar said the scheme was in “stark contrast” to the pork barrelling that had occurred under the former Coalition government “which pumped money into Coalition held seats.”

Originally published as Libs to call Albo’s star candidate to appear before grants inquiry