Senate debates Questions without Notice
Community Sport Infrastructure Grant Program
Anthony Chisholm Queensland, Australian Labor Party
2:08 pm
My question is to the minister representing the Prime Minister, Senator Cormann. Sport Australia has given evidence to the Senate that it received the backdated brief from the government approving the Community Sport Infrastructure program projects for funding at 8.46 am on the day the election was called. Given the House was dissolved at 8.30 am that day, can the minister explain why the Prime Minister breached caretaker conventions by spending $40 million on the community grant infrastructure program the day he called the election?
Mathias Cormann WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council
2:09 pm
Let me firstly completely reject that final assertion. The Prime Minister did nothing of the sort. As Sport Australia said quite explicitly to the Senate select committee inquiring into the highly successful and popular sports grants program, the brief approving the third round of projects was dated 4 April 2019. The caretaker period associated with the 2019 election did not, of course, start until Thursday 11 April. In accordance with the conventions, decisions taken before a caretaker period can be announced during a caretaker period.
Anthony Chisholm Queensland, Australian Labor Party
Why did the government provide a brief to Sport Australia at 8.46 am on the day the Prime Minister called the election, approving the Community Sport Infrastructure Program projects, when the House had already been dissolved at 8.30 am and caretaker conventions were in place?
Mathias Cormann WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council
2:10 pm
The decisions were formalised on 4 April. That is when the brief was signed and—
Penny Wong SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
The point of order is on direct relevance. The evidence is 8.46 am, after the House had been dissolved.
Scott Ryan President
Senator Wong, with respect, I think that goes to the substance of the answer. Senator Cormann was being directly relevant.
Mathias Cormann WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council
Let me remind Senator Wong and the Senate again of the explicit and clear and unequivocal evidence of Sport Australia at the Senate select committee inquiry into this program. That is that the brief approving those projects was dated 4 April.
Anthony Chisholm Queensland, Australian Labor Party
2:11 pm
Evidence to the select committee has now revealed that the Prime Minister's and Senator McKenzie's offices exchanged at least 136 emails. Over 28 versions of colour coded spreadsheets outlining political and electorate breakdowns were exchanged, and Minister McKenzie backdated her decision on round 3 in breach of caretaker conventions. When will the Prime Minister admit his role in driving the sports rorts scandal?
Mathias Cormann WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council
Constantly repeating false assertions doesn't make them true. Just about everything in that question is false.
Penny Wong SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
We will give the government leave to explain which of those assertions are false.
Mathias Cormann WA, Liberal Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council
As Sport Australia made very clear at the Senate select committee hearing, the brief was dated 4 April, a week before the caretaker conventions kicked in. There is nothing unusual about communications to organise event logistics and announcement arrangements.