Vince Connelly (Stirling, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Treasurer representing the Minister for Finance. Will the Treasurer outline to the House how the Morrison government is taking action to extend the application of the Commonwealth Grants Rules and Guidelines and why this Auditor-General's report, and previous reports from the Auditor-General into other grants programs, underlines the importance of the Commonwealth Grants Rules and Guidelines?

Josh Frydenberg (Kooyong, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Stirling. The Leader of the Opposition might like to listen closely. As the House is aware, the Auditor-General has conducted a report into the Community Sport Infrastructure Grant Program. The government takes this very seriously. We have accepted all its recommendations, including the extension of the Commonwealth Grants Rules and Guidelines to situations which involve Commonwealth entities such as Sport Australia and when the minister is the decision-maker. Finance is preparing advice for the government about how ANAO recommendation 4 is best implemented and will consult with corporate entities, but one effect will be to improve the reporting requirements.

Now, as those opposite will be aware, this is not the only report of the Auditor-General that's made some interesting observations. I'm reminded there was a report—ANAO audit report No. 3 of 2010-11—into a $550 million infrastructure program. It said on page 38:

… Ministers made an explicit decision to approve an application that was known to be otherwise ineligible under the Guidelines—

and also went on to say:

… the equitable consideration of all applicants was not evident in the processes employed.

Who were the beneficiaries of this process? The Auditor-General went on to say on page 48:

The awarding of funding to projects also disproportionately favoured ALP held seats …

In fact, the Auditor-General found that, when it came to funding, ALP electorates had a success rate almost three times the coalition's. So who was the responsible minister overseeing this $550 million grant program? It was none other than the member for Grayndler. Hypocrisy, thy name is Labor.