Ministers must give written reasons for approving taxpayer-funded grants, according to the state’s two top public servants in a new report sparked after several damaging pork-barrelling scandals.
Their report, quietly released on Saturday, includes 19 recommendations for how grants should be administered and assessed. It said the NSW government spends about $4 billion on grants each year. One of the most controversial funds for the government has been the Stronger Communities Fund, in which the vast majority of $250 million in funding went to councils in Coalition-held electorates leading up to the last election.An upper house inquiry into the fund found there was no application or assessment process for the scheme, and the eligible councils were the ones who were identified by the government as being so.
“The public can then make a well-informed judgement about whether these decisions are consistent with the public interest and provide value for money,” Perrottet said. Before her evidence to the anti-corruption commission, Berejiklian said voters may not be comfortable with pork-barrelling, but all governments used it “from time to time”.
AlexSmithSMH A new photo of Dddooommmiii❗️
AlexSmithSMH It is only Pork Barreling if it is not in your Electorate. Both Parties have always done it. Get over it.
AlexSmithSMH Smoke and mirrors,a politician's favourite tools.