Thread by @docbaty

I wanted to take a moment to look at why the various government rorts are such a concern. I'm talking about the Sports grants and the Carparks and the Community Development grants...

The exact amount of money that goes to make up these various funds is difficult to make out. In part it's because successive Budgets have allocated money into various discretionary funds. In part because it's unclear at times how much money has been allocated or spent.

But first, let's look at how these things are supposed to work.

1. A government department - Infrastructure, for example - will publish a list of grant criteria and invite submissions from the relevant groups. Councils, state governments, community groups etc.

2. All submissions that meet the grant criteria are assessed and rated. Projects are funded down the list until all the money has been allocated.

3. The Minister in charge might make changes, but it's expected they provide (good) reasons for doing so.

4. That final list of projects is funded.

Now, because each project had to think through what they needed and put forward a case, projects are generally ready to proceed when funding approval is granted.

The process is transparent, and money goes to the most worthy projects.

Now, it's important to contrast this process with election promises. These fall into a very different category in which projects might be put forward by a candidate as an inducement to vote for them. "Here's what I'll do for you if I win election."

We expect election promises to be both partisan and parochial. We also recognise that they're contingent on the candidate (and their party) winning the election.

What we've seen in the past two years or so is a complete subjugation of the process of allocating funding based on need. The current government hasn't just blurred the line between the business of government and electioneering; they're thrown it away.

This is effectively corruption. Public money is being used for political purposes and the sums are vast - hundreds of millions of dollars. What's worse, having gotten away with (there are yet to be any consequences), the government is becoming more brazen.

A number of senior cabinet figures have, just this week, defended this misuse of public money, and shown clear intention to do so again.

This is why we need a Federal Integrity commission - an independent body capable of investigating these acts...

It's why the @AustDems have been advocating for an overhaul of our parliamentary salaries and benefits, political funding, and implement a national integrity commission

You can read more here: democrats.org.au/accountability…