The peak audit agency found grants were awarded to health projects despite being inconsistent with the rules for awarding Commonwealth funds and nearly half of all the projects that were funded – 45 per cent – were in marginal seats.
The program was designed to fund projects across the country that would support patient care and reduce demands on hospitals,with the auditor identifying 171 programs including 108 administered as grants and 63 projects that were national partnership agreements with state and territory governments.
Of those 63 projects,34 were funded even though they did not have a supporting expression-of-interest proposal and despite the fact they had not been assessed by the Health Department against the eligibility criteria,while another six projects were described in the department’s assessment records as being misaligned with program objectives – but were funded regardless.
Between February and April 2019 – in the lead up to the May election – the Health Department was reduced to monitoring the media to keep track of which projects had been selected for funding by the former Coalition government.
Independent MP Helen Haines said the “report shows an appalling abuse of public trust. I am shocked that even our healthcare could be pork barrelled”.
“This could be sports rorts for hospitals,” she said,referring to a $100 million sports funding programthe audit office issued a scathing review of in 2020.