The Morrison government was up to its neck in slush funds in 2019, splashing out to buy Liberal and National seats at the election.
We’re living through a golden age of government rorting. The latest, a $660 million slush fund where money to build commuter car parks was funnelled into Liberal-held and marginal electorates ahead of the last election, barely made a ripple in a day dominated by lockdowns and the botched vaccine rollout.
The car park fund dwarfs sports rorts, revealed by the auditor-general last year. And it’s the latest in a very long list of slush funds, misdirected grants and pork-barrels, many of which are now forgotten. Here’s a quick run-through.
Sports rorts
This was the one that cut through. As sports minister, Nationals Deputy Leader Bridget McKenzie presided over the $100 million community sport infrastructure program which funnelled money away from recommended projects to ones in marginal and Coalition-held seats ahead of the election.
