Labor anti-rorting bill would make ministers divulge grant decisions
Labor will try to prevent the rorting of grants funds by introducing a bill requiring ministers to explain, in real time, when they reject recommendations from their department.
The proposal, announced by Labor leader Anthony Albanese on Monday, is designed to prevent ministers substituting their own slate of projects for those recommended by independent assessment, as occurred during the sports rorts controversy.
Labor also recommitted to introducing a strong anti-corruption commission. Both moves won approval from crossbench senator Rex Patrick.
Labor has claimed that the Morrison government created 22 discretionary funds in the budget, which it believes sets the stage for the election to be dominated by big spending decisions that repeat the partisan slant of past programs, including sports rorts and the $660m commuter car park fund.
Albanese told reporters in Brisbane the shadow finance minister, Katy Gallagher, would introduce a bill into the Senate to “force ministers who approve grants rejected by their departments, or award grants in their own electorates, to report the decision to the finance minister within 30 days”.
The finance minister would then be required to table those reports in the parliament within five sitting days of receiving them, speeding up the current process where decisions are reported annually.
Labor will attempt to pass the bill in time for the next election – a difficult prospect that requires passage in the lower house, controlled by the government – but is also committed to legislate it if elected.
In a statement, Gallagher said the bill would “dramatically reduce the time ministers are able to hide their dodgy decisions from the Australian community”.
“Labor shouldn’t have to introduce
this bill but we have been left with no choice,’’ she said.
“This abuse of public money must stop. This bill won’t stop the Morrison government rorting but it is one small step that will shine a light on dodgy ministerial decision-making.”
Independent senator Patrick told Guardian Australia that “on the face of it, this looks like much needed legislation and I’m very likely to support it”.
“I may seek to strengthen it,” he said, citing the potential to require the minister to explain decisions to fund programs that weren’t recommended, not just those that were rejected, by the department.
Despite the proposed increase in transparency, Labor has stopped short of ruling out ministerial intervention in grants programs or preventing election promises being funded without competitive application processes, as occurred in the commuter car park fund.
Earlier in July, Albanese told the National Press Club that “governments make decisions, and of course ministers will make decisions”.
“But it’s based upon a process which is there. We are in a democracy. And governments make decisions. And they’re elected to do so. The problem here is there’s no integrity in the attitude of this government.”
On Monday, Albanese and the shadow attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, promised its proposed national integrity commission would “operate as a standing royal commission into serious and systemic corruption in the federal government”.
“It will have a broad jurisdiction to investigate and hold to account commonwealth ministers, public servants, statutory office holders, government agencies, parliamentarians, personal staff of politicians and other commonwealth public officials,” they said.
The Coalition promised a national integrity commission in December 2018 but its proposed model has been derided as toothless and lengthy consultation means it will not be in place before the next election.