Prominent campaigner claims NSW Labor ‘used’ her for electoral gain

The chief executive of a domestic violence organisation has claimed she was promised $20,000 from a controversial grants scheme set up by state Labor in exchange for supporting Newcastle MP Tim Crakanthorp at the 2023 election.

Contained within thousands of documents released under a parliamentary order, emails reveal What Were You Wearing? Australia (WWYW) founder Sarah Williams alleged “we were falsely used to get [Crakanthorp] into Parliament”. The exchange came after her organisation was deemed ineligible to receive the funds.

Australia co-founder and chief executive Sarah Williams was awarded the Newcastle Local Woman of the Year by Newcastle MP Tim Crakanthorp in March 2023. Seventeen months later she alleged the organisation was nominated for a $20,000 grant “on the terms” she helped him get elected.Credit: Instagram

In an explosive email sent in August 2024, Williams claimed the $20,000 grant was “given to us on the terms we prompted (sic)” Labor “getting into parliament, both Tim Crakethorp (sic) and Chris Minns”.

In response to questions from the Herald, Crakanthorp rejected the allegations: “No such discussions were held with the organisation.”

“Some community organisations that were nominated received funding and others did not,” he said.

Announced ahead of the 2023 March election, the $37.2 million Local Small Commitments Allocation fund gave every Labor MP and candidate in each of the state’s 93 electorates $400,000 to nominate projects for funding.

The scheme has since been dogged by issues, subject to a compliance audit, and an upper house parliamentary inquiry to “report on the integrity, efficacy, and value for money” of the program.

In October 2023, Special Minister of State John Graham commissioned a conflict of interest review across 15 electorates in response to probity concerns raised by the Coalition. More than 100 projects were identified, with more than half found to have existing, potential or perceived conflicts.

Of 28 projects considered a “moderate” risk, 10 were due to political connections. Crakanthorp accounted for several of those, with the review finding he received campaign support from connections in four of the nine organisations associated with his nominated projects.

One project nominated by Crakanthorp was WWYW Australia. The organisation, established to combat sexual violence, is run by Williams, who caused a storm in April last year after she accused Anthony Albanese of lying at a rally.

Rally organiser Sarah Williams looks away as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks at the event calling for an end to violence against women.Credit: AAP

Emails obtained through the parliamentary call for papers show bureaucrats in the Premier’s Department seeking additional documentation from WWYW on August 27, including bank accounts and an Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) number.

It prompted an outburst from Williams, who said: “This grant was given to us on the terms that we prompted (sic) that Labor government getting into parliament, both Tim Crakethorp (sic) and Chris Minns.”

“I have concerns about us losing this money, looking like we were falsely used to get into parliament.”

In a statement, the organisation said it had “expected to receive $20,000” from the grants scheme but was “later advised [the funds] were relinquished as WWYW did not meet the eligibility requirements” outlined in the grants program.

“WWYW confirms that no money has been received from the LSCA, Chris Minns or Tim Crakanthorp,” the statement read.

Tim Crakanthorp and Chris Minns pose together shortly after last year’s election.Credit: Instagram/@timcrakanthorp

The organisation did not address questions relating to the allegations contained in Williams’ email. But Williams and WWYW have repeatedly praised Crakanthorp publicly. In a social media post 18 days before the election, the group thanked Crakanthorp for “your inspiring leadership and for having the uncomfortable conversations with us and Newcastle about sexual violence”.

Williams handed out how-to-vote material for Crakanthorp on election day in 2023, the MP confirmed to the Premier’s Department, emails showed. Three other organisations the MP nominated for $190,000 in funding also undertook volunteer work for Crakanthorp ahead of the election, which he disclosed previously.

Crakanthorp has repeatedly praised Williams, including on social media and in Newcastle Labor Party branch meetings. He nominated her for Newcastle’s Local Woman of the Year award before the 2023 election, which she won, and attended the NSW Woman of the Year awards with her, labelling her “unstoppable”.

Appointed skills minister after the state election, Crakanthorp was sacked from cabinet less than five months later after he failed to disclose “substantial” private family holdings. A subsequent Independent Commission Against Corruption investigation was eventually terminated after concluding there was no reasonable prospect of finding corruption.

Graham did not respond to questions about whether the government had investigated Williams’ allegations but said the organisation being ruled ineligible was “evidence of the system working”.

“The guidelines for the program are very strict,” he said.

Opposition special minister of state spokesman Chris Rath said the LSCA funding appeared “conditional”, calling on Crakanthorp to apologise.

“It appears Labor candidates implied their funding was conditional, provided in exchange for supporting the Labor Party to form government. If this grant isn’t an example of pork-barrelling, I’m not sure what is,” he said.

“Labor was unashamedly buying votes in the lead-up to the March 2023 election. This community group assumed they had to support Labor in order to access grant funding.”

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