Amid this Saturday's Dunkley by-election and growing chatter about the timing of the next federal election, federal Labor is being challenged to put to an end the political misuse, even rorting, of taxpayers' money through vote-swaying pork-barrelling.
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The independent member for Indi, Helen Haines, has introduced the End Pork Barrelling Bill 2024, a private members' bill drafted with the Centre for Public Integrity. It zeroes in on the opaque, age-old practice - like recent sports rorts, regional rorts and commuter car park rorts - of using government grant programs to shore up political support in the electorate.
She has told The Canberra Times that the March 2 federal by-election in outer Melbourne is in the spotlight.
"We're seeing it right now in the Dunkley by election with opposition, just the other day, standing outside the railway station, promising rail infrastructure. A candidate promising sporting infrastructure," Dr Haines said.
"Now that in no way demonstrates a fair and equitable process with guidelines and with need and I think it's got to stop."
Independent ACT senator David Pocock also intends to introduce the same effort in the Senate, by tacking the Haines bill onto a government bill covering commonwealth grants. If the effort fails, he will then move to add the 2021 Anti-Rorting Bill, which was proposed by the now Finance Minister Katy Gallagher in opposition.
Dr Haines said she is here to work with the Albanese government and will be pointing out Senator Gallagher's similar effort in opposition.
"It wasn't as strong as this one," she told The Canberra Times. "Opposition's talk about this all the time when they don't have the power to go out and make these kinds of promises into the election.
"A government won't be in government forever. They'll be back in opposition again. Here's your chance to get it right. And it's a way to get it right in such a way that protects everyone.
"[It] doesn't take away ministerial powers, increases transparency and accountability, and ultimately, we get a more robust and fairer system of grant distribution across this nation that sets us up for success."
Dr Haines said Labor came to power with a strong platform of improving the integrity of government and building public trust. It was elected after nine years of Coalition government and the former prime minister Scott Morrison suggesting pork barrelling was not illegal - this was disputed by the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption,
"To their credit, they got on with the job of establishing a National Anti-Corruption Commission, but the work of integrity is far from done," she said.
Senator Gallagher was sought for comment.
"The government is committed to increasing the transparency and accountability of government decision-making in relation to grants, to place integrity at the centre of these processes and achieve better outcomes for the Australian community," a spokesperson for the minister said.
It is understood that further strengthening of the commonwealth grants framework is under active government consideration. The minister has sought advice from the Department of Finance.
Dr Haines' End Pork Barrelling Bill 2024 seeks to take the politics out of all commonwealth grants programs regardless of size as they are being created and handed out, while significantly increasing parliamentary oversight. There would be a requirement for a minister to report to Parliament if a grant is awarded contrary to departmental advice or in a minister's own electorate.
The bill creates stiffer guidelines and selection criteria for all commonwealth grants, and seeks greater compliance with investment mandates for large multi-billion dollar future fund boards while establishing a new cross-party Parliamentary Joint Committee on Grants Administration.
"This isn't just a flash in the pan idea," Dr Haines said. "These are mechanisms that have been argued for for some time and we're more than halfway through this period of government. There will be an election at the very latest in May next year. And all this will happen again if we don't put in a strong legislative framework to prevent pork-barrelling just rolling on into the next election cycle."
With the Albanese government having the numbers in the House, the passing of any private members' bill is far from assured.
Senator Pocock has flagged movement in the upper house by either adding the Haines bill or a 2021 Gallagher "anti-rorting" bill to the government's Financial Framework (Supplementary Powers) Amendment Bill 2024.
"I strongly back Helen's new bill and will seek support for it in the Senate," he said in a statement.
"Taxpayer money must be spent where the need is greatest not for one side of politics or another to gain political advantage. We have an opportunity now to make this change happen and I challenge the Parliament to take it up on behalf of the people they represent."
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese last week insisted his government will go full-term with an election due by May 2025 by the latest.
Karen Barlow
Karen Barlow is ACM's Chief Political Correspondent. Working in the federal press gallery, she investigates and writes about federal politics and government. She has an interest in integrity, leadership and social equity. She has covered two Olympics and been to Antarctica twice. Contact her on karen.barlow@canberratimes.com.au
Karen Barlow is ACM's Chief Political Correspondent. Working in the federal press gallery, she investigates and writes about federal politics and government. She has an interest in integrity, leadership and social equity. She has covered two Olympics and been to Antarctica twice. Contact her on karen.barlow@canberratimes.com.au
