Federal ministers are continuing to duck questions and defend their maladministration of a project to fund commuter car parks which funnelled millions of dollars to Coalition-held seats ahead of the 2019 election.
At a spillover Senate estimates hearing yesterday, the Australian National Audit Office’s (ANAO) executive director Brian Boyd confirmed staff in then urban infrastructure minister Alan Tudge’s office allocated the funding by devising a list of the top 20 marginal electorates and consulting Coalition MPs and candidates.
Tudge’s office did not respond to Crikey’s requests for comment. He has not spoken about the issue since the auditor-general’s report was released three weeks ago. But current Urban Infrastructure Minister Paul Fletcher has repeatedly stepped up to back the rorting of the Urban Congestion Fund (UCF). Speaking to ABC’s 7.30 last night, he said funding for car parks was based on need.
But the ANAO confirmed some funded car parks weren’t even on a train line. And its report showed 87% were either in Liberal-held electorates or target seats. That coincidence came about because both Tudge and Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s office were heavily involved in canvassing with Liberal MPs in those marginal seats. Fletcher said that’s all just part of ministerial responsibility.
“The minister for urban infrastructure has responsibility in this area,” he said. “This is all part of the infrastructure investment program and under the National Land Transport Act decisions are made by the government of the day, in this case the minister for urban infrastructure.”
Fletcher’s comments are consistent with the Coalition’s line on the UCF: the rorting was justified because ministers can spend money how they like, and doubly justified because, as Finance Minister Simon Birmingham said earlier this month, it won the election.
That defence was on full display yesterday, with Coalition senators arguing Labor rorted too, and appearing to attack the auditor-general’s report. Queensland Liberal National Party Senator Gerard Rennick, who participated in the hearing, said the ANAO “had no idea” what it was doing.
“Australians want infrastructure built ASAP and instead they get bureaucrats who use smoke and mirrors to delay infrastructure rollouts,” he tweeted. “Feasibility studies are being carried out before money is being spent so due process is occurring.”
Except the auditor-general’s report found that by March this year construction had begun on just 11% of the funded projects. As Crikey reported, a car park in Defence Minister Peter Dutton’s marginal seat of Dickson cost $81,000 a space but has not been started.
The delay in that case was in part because an existing funding proposal from the Queensland state government had to be rewritten. Boyd yesterday said the Coalition had failed to engage with state and local governments when deciding which projects to fund.
How can the Coalition hope to get away with this? What do you think? Write to letters@crikey.com.au and please include your full name to be considered for publication in Crikey’s Your Say section.
Of course they will get away with it because the plebs don’t care.Have you ever tried to engage your average Australian voter in an intelligent discussion on politics? You will be greeted with a vacant stare or a mumbled”I don’t do politics”.Poor fella my country, my bleeding oath.
Worse, glib infantile and/or dismissive one liners learnt from media (headlines/soundbites) that shut down any semblance of analysis and informed conversation
It is so true, and there’s always the old furphy: ‘they’re all the same’
How can they expect to get away with this? What do you mean? They’ve gotten away with it. Past tense. Federal ICAC (with teeth and retrospective powers) now!
Whether all or no carparks are built is irrelevant. What is relevant, is that from Prime Minister down; the entire Front Bench of this current LNP Federal Government together “bought” the 2019 Federal Election using public monies?
There is not a single public ‘instrument’ that can be employed to hold this Govt to account? The ANOA has revealed circumstance and intent. But that’s it! There is no possibility for a Federal ICAC being established. The Prime Minister will never allow. Unless, every electorate so demands. And MSM stands aside; and National Cabinet re-writes their agenda? What’s at stake . . . DEMOCRACY.
Bought it with a lot of help from Clive Palmer.
Well Clive tried his $68,000,000 federally successful “Death tax” Face Book campaign in the Queensland state election.
Don’t you just love the way Queenslanders do things,the Labor Party and the Greens just called him a liar. End of story..Very poor showing for the Palmer’s party in Queensland.
Probably got a tax deduction for the $68 mill though.
Agreed. Parts of the MSM assist the Coalition in these tawdry behaviors, and coverups.
The electorate needs togive the federal LNP government the Western Australian treatment at the next election.
Ideally, a powerful federal anti-corruption body would have the power to sack a government, when proper constituted investigations found a narrow election win was purchased by improper use of our taxes, and call a new election immediately.
The 2019 election was a genuine massive fraud, and the conspirators should be prosecuted.
This proposal has merit. A powerful federal anti-corruption body with the power to advise the GG/Head of State. Yes! Never been in favour of GG using that (imaginary) power until now.
“Minister Paul Fletcher … said funding for car parks was based on need. But the ANAO confirmed some funded car parks weren’t even on a train line. And its report showed 87% were either in Liberal-held electorates or target seats.”
Oh, come on, there’s no contradiction. Fletcher means the funding for car parks was based on his party’s need to have announcables in marginal seats as part of its strategy to rort its way to winning the election. Obviously.
They get away with this stuff, because most people’s minds are fixated on the pandemic and getting through it; Thank the the concentrated right wing media (Murdoch, Nine, Seven West) for that…
…. Under cover of misery.