The Speaker of Tasmania’s Lower House, Michael Polley, has denied he has used government community grants for pork barrelling.
Independent MLC Ivan Dean says the Premier’s Sundry Grants Program of nearly $900,000 last financial year appears to be a slush fund to gain political support in an election year and is almost exclusively handed out by Labor members.
Mr Dean says he has only been referred to the community support levy or to the community grants system when seeking funds for community groups.
“You know this fund was never made available to me, I wasn’t made aware of it,” he said.
The member for Lyons Michael Polley handed out more $320,000, more than a third of the 261 grants.
He says the grants are based on the needs of his electorate.
“All of these are accountable for, all of these are in the budget documents, all of these are subject to the auditor-general’s reports,” he said.
A State Government spokesman says organisations typically apply for the grants through their MP and the final decision is based on the level of need.
He says details of the groups who have received funding are publicised through the Budget Estimates process.
And,
MLC queries federal MP’s state grants access
A Tasmanian Legislative Councillor has questioned a federal MP’s use of a state-based discretionary fund.
MCL Ivan Dean this week accused the Labor Party of using the Premier’s Sundry Grants scheme a slush fund.
It has been revealed almost all of last year’s allocations were granted through Labor Party members, including 93 grants on behalf of the Lyons MHA and Speaker, Michael Polley.
The State Government says all of the grants are audited and properly accounted for.
Mr Dean has now questioned why Tasmanian Senator Helen Polley was granted funds on behalf of constituents in the 2007-2008 financial year.
“[It] just concerns me that a federal parliamentarian was able to access a state fund,” she said.
“I would have thought that they would have had their own fund, I would have thought that they could have accessed those areas to get funding for their constituents.”
