Pork-barrelling begins as election looms: Berejiklian Government issues 81 $10,000 grants

IT’S on for young and old as the government’s pork-barrelling heats up and the Berejiklian Government issues 81 grants across the state but would cash dropped on grants be better spent ­elsewhere, writes Anna Caldwell.

A SILENT disco for grandparents, billy cart races, Aboriginal painting, beeswax wrap workshops, an Ara­bian bazaar, and building a chicken coop.

What do these activities have in common?

Your taxpayer dollars are funding them in a pre-election state government cash splash under the guise of “Grandparents Day”.

In the manic politics of Canberra this week, it was easy to miss that the NSW government announced it had dished out 81 grants across the state to celebrate Grandparents Day on ­October 28.

Didn’t know Grandparents Day was a thing? You’re not alone.

But to mark it, 81 niche community groups and councils have been ­handed up to $10,000 of taxpayer money each to run bizarre niche events (how else can one describe beeswax wrap workshops?).

Up to 81 community groups have been given a $10,000 grant for niche events like Grandparents Day.

In all, $200,000 has been dished out — double the amount as last year.

Community grant politics can be dangerous politics, but governments routinely bargain that the benefits, which include promoting the local member, outweigh the risks.

However, in a political landscape where NSW is gripped by drought and families are battling brutal cost of living pressures, there is always going to be an argument that cash dropped on grants could be better spent ­elsewhere.

Ask the farmer without feed for their cattle. Ask the family who can’t turn the heater on because the electricity bill is too brutal. Ask the ­motorist who can’t afford the tolls.

Guaranteed government cash for niche social activities isn’t high on their priority list.

“This looks like a tokenistic throwing of confetti to anyone and everyone — little bits of money to every corner of NSW to make up for the fact people are in pain but not actually do anything about it,” one senior source said.

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Minister for Ageing Tanya Davies.

When I asked Ageing Minister Tanya Davies about the Grandparents Day grants program yesterday, her intentions sounded noble.

“The purpose of the Grandparents Day grants program is to encourage communities to be inclusive and supportive of seniors,” she said.

“Holding events and activities that specifically cater to the interests of older people, and are accessible for them, is a priority for the NSW government and a way to combat challenges for older people like loneliness and social isolation.”

Davies’ intention is fine and should be precisely the goal of our state’s Minister for Ageing.

But is a grant process the right way to go about it?

Would a program run by experts in NSW Health not be a better approach to tackling issues like elderly isolation or inactivity?

Instead, the government has given money to social enterprise business discoDtours in Manly to “provide grandparents and their families with an opportunity to engage in a silent disco exercise and dance session”.

The Grandparents Day grants program aims to encourage communities to be inclusive and supportive of seniors.

In the Premier’s own electorate of Willoughby, the government has given cash to Link Housing to ­develop a cookbook, which doesn’t sound like the sort of thing in which a social housing company would have much expertise.

Even Luke Foley’s electorate of Auburn will benefit from money given to the Western Sydney Community Centre to put on a Grandparents Arabian Bazaar where they’ll teach grandparents about Arabic culture and traditions with an Arabian feast and fire pit, showing the government is looking to spread its largesse even in enemy territory.

New South Wales state opposition leader Luke Foley. Picture: AAP

These are the not the kind of events and activities we look to our governments to sponsor.

Of course, governments know that there’s nothing quite like a Santa full of community grants to get a local member’s face out there.

It also enables them to target communities at risk of turning away from the government. MPs can of course plaster their faces on invitations all year for the community to firstly apply for money and then secondly attend a left-of-field event.

It’s better publicity than usual government guff and that’s the appeal.

Appeal or no appeal, governments must remember that community grants are dangerous territory.

They smell like pork barrelling and the chance of one or two going somewhere it shouldn’t is high.

Scepticism around this process is precisely why Treasurer Dominic Perrottet has faced criticism of the ­architecture of his new future fund.

NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet has faced criticism of the ­architecture of his new future fund.

Announced in the June budget, the fund will hand out dividends to community organisations based on a popular vote.

The “My Community Dividend” program — designed to hand out cash for things like public gardens and healthy lifestyle initiatives — was perhaps the most contentious aspect of Perrottet’s most recent budget.

He denied in a press conference that this was blatant pork barrelling. But cynics will be waiting for all the photo ops for the local member when grant dole out time comes around.

What makes this particular fund even more dangerous is that community members will vote for their favourite project with the popular vote getting the grant.

It’s government funding meets Australian Idol.

The government has insisted it will have anti-rorting measures in place and it will need to. Because this project will be heavily scrutinised.

Handing cash to community groups is easy for governments to sell as a noble measure.

But it’s not what we expect our governments to do and there’s ­always going to be a better way to spend the money.

As the election draws close, the government will need to make sure it’s getting the basics right.

And no one’s ever put silent discos and Arabian bazaars in the basics ­column.

Originally published as Pork-barrelling begins as election looms: Berejiklian Government issues 81 $10,000 grants