Labor hit with pork barrelling accusations over $20k promise to school

The NSW Greens have accused Labor of pork barrelling taxpayer funds after a candidate’s staffer was found promising $20,000 to a Sydney school.

The Greens have lashed NSW Labor over pork barrelling after a campaign staffer was “caught out” promising $20,000 to an inner-city school’s parents and citizens association.

The NSW Opposition has denied all accusations of attempted pork barrelling, after Nine newspapers revealed Balmain candidate Philippa Scott’s campaign manager allegedly offered Leichhardt Public School a $20,000 grant if Labor came into government and won the seat.

According to emails cited by the news publisher, the money would have been used for the school’s solar energy project and come from “Labor’s Local Community Grants program”. On Wednesday, opposition spokesman Daniel Mookhey staunchly denied the existence of the fund.

A staffer for Labor candidate for Balmain Philippa Scott was found to have promised $20,000 to a school P&C. Picture: Supplied

Balmain Greens MP Jamie Parker has accused Labor of pork barrelling. Picture: Supplied

Incumbent Balmain MP Jamie Parker has accused the opposition of pork barrelling and called on Labor Leader Chris Minns to disclose all grant and commitment promises.

“When it comes to pork barrelling, Labor has been caught out trying to buy votes with a taxpayer funded political slush fund,” he said.

Mr Mookhey maintained there was “absolutely” no Labor Community Grants Program, however he said all parties were making “election commitments” in the lead up to March 25.

“We are saying to our candidates, and our MPs, that we would expect you to be listening to your communities and identifying precisely what it is that they would expect from the government,” he said.

“We will continue to make commitments to local communities as this election continues.

“They are not grants, they are election commitments and they will be honoured regardless of whether or not a community chooses to vote for us or not.”

The Greens, however, see no difference between the two.

“They’re negotiated in secret, without any type of public advertising, without any type of merit assessment,” said Mr Parker.

“Taxpayers expect that community organisations, no matter how worthy they are, can make applications for these types of grants.”

Opposition Leader Chris Minns has made legislating against pork barrelling part of Labor’s suite of election commitments. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

Labor has repeatedly lashed the Coalition after a NSW Auditor-General report released in February found Labor-held seats were denied Black Summer 2019 bushfire recovery grants after a rule imposed by the then Deputy-Premier John Barilaro’s office.

Mr Minns also promised to legislate legal protections against pork-barrelling, like ensuring grants will be reviewed by the Auditor General within three months of distribution.

On Saturday, the NSW Greens also released their seven demands to the NSW Labor Party in the likelihood they will need to rely on cross benchers and minor parties to form a minority government.

The office of Deputy Premier John Barilaro was found to have denied bushfire grants to Labor-held electorates after the Black Saturday bushfires. Picture: Gaye Gerard / NCA NewsWire

The policies included promises to ban unfair evictions and control rents, implement a mandatory cashless gaming card, repeal anti-protest laws, and abolish the public sector wage cap.

Both the NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet and Mr Minns have said they will not do deals with any party or cross bencher in exchange for support.

After holding Balmain for 12 years, Mr Parker is retiring from politics after March 25, with Labor making a play for the safe Greens electorate. The minor party holds the seat with a safe margin of 10 per cent.