“This is buying votes with public money”: Geoffrey Watson accuses Labor of pork-barrelling with establishment of $37 million, taxpayer-funded election grants program.
The Minns government has spent $22.5 million under a taxpayer-funded grants program designed to give every ALP candidate in the March state election a $400,000 edge over other candidates, raising allegations of pork-barrelling.
Centre for Public Integrity director Geoffrey Watson offered a blistering criticism of Labor’s program, saying giving candidates’ access to taxpayers’ dollars to make election promises should be made illegal. The Coalition, Greens and independents only became aware of the fund’s existence during the campaign and were unable to nominate projects for funding.has obtained the data which shows $22.5 million has subsequently been allocated across 439 projects under the program since the election, an average of just over $50,000 per grant. About $14.7 million has not been allocated.
In the marginal electorates of East Hills, Goulburn, Leppington, Upper Hunter and Ryde, the entire $400,000 was allocated in each. However, Labor candidate Karen McKeown did not spend a cent trying to unseat former minister Stuart Ayres in the seat of Penrith. One Labor candidate, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal party matters, said they had not accessed the fund due to their late preselection, meaning they had little knowledge or ability to access the LSCA.10 days before the election.
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