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Good morning, and welcome to Friday. Nick Visser here to get the blog rolling. Let’s get to it.
Centre for Public Integrity says government’s $560m grant scheme ripe for ‘pork barrelling’
When election promises are channelled through grants without open or transparent eligibility criteria, the distinction between policy delivery and political patronage becomes blurred.
Both major parties have used such mechanisms in the past – including through the community development grants program and Building Better regions fund – to direct taxpayer money toward electorally advantageous projects.