The probe into the $100 million program scrutinised the intervention of John Barilaro’s former office and has since triggered accusations of pork-barrelling.
After working closely with public servants on grant applications,Blue Mountains Mayor Mark Greenhill was stunned to discover the rules had later been changed.
The auditor-general has used an inquiry into federal grant programs to call for change to increase transparency and get value for money.
The findings have been revealed in full after the release of the February 2020 report under freedom of information laws,long after the Coalition’s funding blitz before the 2019 election.
The government is going through Coalition grants and programs to find savings and reallocate money for other election promises.
An early examination of money promised by the former federal government shows the cash going to projects without backers in unknown locations.
Six programs worth more than $7 billion in handouts will be examined by a parliamentary committee as it examines past claims of pork-barrelling.
An ice-cream factory’s request for an additional $24 million to rebuild has been knocked back. Now 170 workers in flood-ravaged northern NSW fear for their jobs.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese accused the Nationals of being “obsessed” with pork-barrelling amid a stoush over regional funding.
The Coalition’s promises of infrastructure to roll out over the next decade and regional funds linked to the Nationals’ support for net zero are at risk in the coming budget.
The government has scrapped funding for a leadership program backed by David Hurley and funded under Scott Morrison that had no office,no website and no staff.