Letter – Tasmanian Constitutional Society, 13 March 2024
New Rules For Community Grants Needed
The noise of the election has drowned out the important issue of integrity which isn’t a priority for either major party. An example is the Liberal and Labor parties’ community grants programs, which integrity experts say is pork barrelling.
Liberal party officials decide what community groups will be given grants and the amount. Premier Rockliff says there is a ‘strict process’ to award the grants that must be approved by parliament. The process might be strict but Liberal party officials decide who gets grants and the amount.
Like the Liberals, Labor has approached organisations about grants. Shadow Attorney General Ella Haddad says the Labor caucus will decide who gets what and ultimate approval will be by the relevant government department.
Commonwealth Grants Rules and Guidelines – recommended by the Integrity Commission in its 2022 report on Tasmanian elections – should be implemented.
Another example of the major parties’ attitudes to integrity is no Liberal or Labor candidate responded to a Tasmanian Constitution Society survey about political donations. Only 32 of the 167 candidates responded to the survey: all supported public reporting of donations more than $1000. Both major parties have refused to voluntarily publicly declare donations which further erodes public confidence in our democratic system of government.
Democracy relies on accountability, transparency and integrity to succeed which is why the new parliament should immediately introduce stronger political donations laws and regulations for community grants.
