Liberal grants scheme was dodgy by definition: Greens

A NSW ICAC look at pork barrelling has thrown accepted practice in Tasmania into sharp focus.

A controversial Liberal party grant scheme would have fallen foul of prudent anti-corruption measures that exist in other states, the Greens say.

A NSW ICAC report handed down this week spelled out how some forms of pork barrelling constituted corruption under that state’s laws.

The anti-corruption body ruled grants made under the NSW Liberal government’s Stronger Communities Fund that curried political and private advantage over merit and which benefited political donors or family members could constitute corrupt conduct.

The Tasmanian Liberals ran a $15m Communities Facilities Fund in the lead up to the 2021 state election which handed out grants to community groups linked to multiple ministers and their families.

Icac Building

It included $150,000 for a candidate’s daughter’s rowing club.

The grants were then paid from public funds after the party won.

The Centre for Public Integrity’s Geoffrey Watson told the ABC it was “ridiculous to think the Tasmanian public could have any confidence in the way this was allocated.”

Tasmanian Greens leader Cassy O’Connor said the NSW ICAC “has called out pork-barrelling for what it is”.

“In Tasmania, we saw it in 2018 and again in 2021. The Liberals doled out public money to hand-picked sports and community groups — without scrutiny, merit assessment or proper process. All of it done behind closed doors in Liberal HQ.

“Even our timid Integrity Commission slammed the Liberals’ sports rorts-esque pork-barrelling.

Greens leader Cassy O'Connor.

“They found the 2018 campaign grants did not meet the principles of accountability, openness, fairness or value for money.

“Yet the Liberals did it again in 2021, and they dismissed the Integrity Commission’s report. They’re refusing to make any legislative changes.”

A government spokesman defended the grants scheme as routine election promises and said the NSW instance was not comparable.

“The Greens are clearly trying to conflate two separate things, in two separate states, to score a cheap headline,” the spokesman said in a statement,

“Funding allocated under the LCFF was the result of election promises made by the Liberal Party, rather than commitments made by the Tasmanian Government.

“The Tasmanian election result meant these promises were able to be delivered on, as the community would expect. All parties make election commitments, this happens at every election.

“We stand by our election promises — every one of them directly benefits everyday Tasmanians, including funding for soup vans to help feed our most vulnerable or improving disability access at businesses.

“We would challenge anyone who claims these investments benefit candidates and not the community.”

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Originally published as Liberal grants scheme was dodgy by definition: Greens