Liberal MP Mark Shelton’s footy club received $45K grant before election, Madeleine Ogilvie pledged Sandy Bay Rowing Club
Another Liberal MP is under fire for a $45,000 grant for his local footy club in lead up to 2021 state election. DETAILS >>
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A $45,000 payment to a football club with extensive links to an MP’s family highlighted the conflicts of interest which riddled a Liberal party grants scheme, the Greens say.
Lyons MP Mark Shelton, his wife and children have served on the Bracknell Football Club’s committee in positions including as treasurer, kiosk manager and groundsman.
The club was given the money from the $15m Local Communities Facilities Fund for “purchase of nets for behind the goalposts”.
In parliament on Tuesday, the Greens asked the government to reveal which MPs declared conflicts of interests when applying for grants.
Liberal member for Clark Madeleine Ogilvie attracted controversy after it was revealed she secured $150,000 for Sandy Bay rowing club, where her daughter was a member.
A state government spokeswoman confirmed Ms Ogilvie had disclosed to the Liberal party prior to the election that a member of her family was a member of the rowing club.
Greens leader Cassy O’Connor called on the government to disclose all instances where MPs had declared conflicts of interest.
“The Shelton-dominated Bracknell Football Club were handed a cool $45K after the 2021 State election,” she said.
“It’s about a third of the funds given to Madeleine Ogilvie’s daughter’s rowing club, but still a large sum of public money.
“Fortunately for the Treasurer of the Bracknell Football Club, the Liberal Member for Lyons’ two children are members and his wife is a key member and volunteer.
Ms O’Connor said there was a perception in some quarters that the grants program – which was run by the Liberal party in the lead-up to the 2021 state election – had not lived up to the highest possible standards of public administration.
“There may well have been a need for the taxpayer money to be doled out to clubs dominated by the friends and family of Liberal MPs, but plenty of clubs with no Liberal Party connections missed out,” she said.
“It was the Liberal Party ‘policy team’ who decided there was apparently no conflicts of interest here.
“No Tasmanian, who is stumping the cash for these grants, will buy that. The whole thing smells a lot like the cattle fields of Bracknell.”
A spokesman said it was important to understand that election promises were made by the Liberal Party and not by the Liberal government.
“We do not believe and the community would not expect organisations to be ineligible for funding requests during an election campaign simply because a candidate is a Patron of or involved in that organisation,” he said.
“No club would every ask their local MP to be a patron if that was the case.
“We make no apologies for working with our communities to deliver projects that assist in economic and social recovery.
“Taking commitments to the election and giving people the right to vote on them is transparent and fair and a fundamental part of democracy.”
david.killick@news.com.au
State government defends Ogilvie grant
THE state government says Liberal MP Madeleine Ogilvie disclosed that her daughter was a member of a rowing club to which she promised funding prior to the state election.
Ms Ogilvie, a former Labor and independent MP, joined the Liberal party ahead of the 2021 state election.
In a Facebook post on April 26 last year, the then-Liberal candidate for Clark announced $150,000 for “securing the future of the Sandy Bay rowing club”.
The funds were to deliver a floating pontoon at the Short Beach Peninsula.
“This funding will benefit not just the Sandy Bay Rowing Club but the wider rowing community including the Scouts and the Hutchins Rowing Club and be used by sailing clubs, kayakers and other water users,” Ms Ogilvie posted.
The grant was one of a range of Liberal promises announced by Ms Ogilvie, who is now a Minister, during the campaign.
Other groups promised funds including Bucaan Community House in Chigwell, the Sandy Bay and North Hobart bowls clubs and the Derwent Cricket Club
The promises, which later became grants when the Liberals won government, were part of the party’s Local Communities Facilities Fund.
The fund provided a mechanism for Liberal state election candidates to make pledges to local organisations.
The Greens have criticised the fund as pork-barrelling.
In response to a question from Greens MP Rosalie Woodruff during state budget estimates, Sports Minister Nic Street said he didn’t know whether Ms Ogilvie’s daughter was a member of the Sandy Bay Rowing Club.
“I can’t possibly know the answer to that question,” Mr Street said.
A state government spokeswoman confirmed Ms Ogilvie had disclosed to the Liberal party prior to the election that a member of her family was a member of the rowing club.
“In 2021, the Liberal Party pledged $15 million for the establishment of a Local Communities Facilities Fund to help communities recover from the impacts of Covid,” the spokeswoman said.
“Funding was available for one-off projects. Requests were assessed by a policy team against a set of criteria, including how projects would improve economic activity, create jobs, support local businesses and help rebuild Tasmania post Covid, as well as demonstrating they would improve community amenity.
“Taking commitments to the election and giving people the right to vote on these community projects is transparent and fair, and a fundamental part of democracy.
“All of our commitments were clearly documented in the 2021-22 Budget Papers and approved by parliament.”
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