Labor to tackle the porks of office

Labor will implement a raft of measures aimed at preventing pork barrelling if they take office, an effort to address the ‘highly problematic’ use of taxpayers dollars.

Opposition infrastructure spokeswoman Catherine King. Picture: Alan Barber

Labor will implement a raft of measures aimed at preventing pork barrelling if it takes office in an effort to address this “highly problematic” use of taxpayer dollars.

A number of high-profile incidents over the past two years – including the “sports rorts” scandal which brought down then sports minister Bridget McKenzie, and the $660m car park rorts affair – have led to allegations that grant funding has been misappropriated by the federal government.

The issue, according to opposition infrastructure spokeswoman Catherine King, was not funding commitments made in the context of an election – a proposition accepted by the Audit Office – but rather the “unusual” use of taxpayer dollars announced in the budget for “political purposes”.

“And that‘s really where the government, I think, has taken it to the level beyond anything I have seen in the 20 years that I’ve been here,” the longstanding Ballarat MP told The Australian.

“The fact (is) that the government is now trying to blur the lines about what’s budgeted funded programs and election commitments. And I think that’s problematic. I think it’s highly problematic.”

If elected, Ms King said, Labor would work closely with state governments and local councils to ensure projects had support before they were announced, while also increasing the transparency and accountability of decision-making processes.

The Labor push is in response to the commuter car park fund, where ministers used a “top 20 marginals” spreadsheet to help direct funding commitments.

Business cases would be prepared to substantiate reasoning for particular projects, providing “documentary evidence”. The Department of Infrastructure would be asked to do an assessment of all election commitments to ensure projects offered value for money.

Establishing a federal integrity commission with sufficient teeth would provide a disincentive for Labor to backslide, Ms King said, while improving the transparency of decision-making processes.

“I’m looking at the grants programs that are within my control, and ensuring that there is a transparent fair way of making those decisions – what that might be is I’ll take on consultation with the department, if we’re fortunate enough to the government,” she said.

The recent appointment of former Tamworth mayor Col Murray as chairman of Infrastructure Australia has intensified Labor’s calls for a review of the economic development body, an organisation which it claims has been sidelined by the Coalition.

“It‘s a body to be used as their own plaything; it’s not important to be treated seriously,” she said.

“It‘s up to the Deputy Prime Minister to explain why … the retired mayor of Tamworth was the only person in the country that he felt could be chair.”