SENATOR KATY GALLAGHER
SHADOW MINISTER FOR FINANCE
SHADOW MINISTER FOR THE PUBLIC SERVICE
MANAGER OF OPPOSITION BUSINESS IN THE SENATE
SENATOR FOR THE AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY

LABOR TO INTRODUCE ANTI-RORTING BILL INTO THE SENATE

Labor’s ‘Anti-Rorting Bill’ will be introduced into the Senate today with the aim of forcing the Morrison Government to clean up its act when it comes to the way it spends taxpayers’ money.

We know that Scott Morrison and his ministers are addicted to rorting the grant programs that are dotted throughout the Budget.

Labor’s Bill will improve the transparency and accountability of ministerial decisions within these grant programs that Scott Morrison is addicted to rorting.

There has been sports rorts, regional rorts, safer seats rorts and, most recently and perhaps most egregiously, the ‘Pork and Ride’ commuter carpark rorts that have seen billions of dollars in grant funding pork-barrelled across the country by Scott Morrison to buy votes and win an election.

This bill will force ministers who approve grants rejected by their departments or who award grants in their own electorates to report the decision to the Finance Minister within 30 days and cause those reports to be tabled in the Parliament within five sitting days.

This will dramatically reduce the time ministers are able to hide their dodgy decisions from the Australian community from up to 16 months down to just a couple of months. 

Scott Morrison’s behaviour over the past eight long years has left Labor with no choice but to introduce this Bill.

At a time when the Morrison Government is racking up more than $1 trillion of debt and hundreds of millions of dollars of new spending, every dollar must be spent wisely, carefully and in the interests of the Australian community. 

Shining a light on the dodgy decision making inside the Morrison Government is one way that we can try to stop Scott Morrison spending public money as if it is Liberal Party money.

Labor will bring on debate of this bill in coming weeks to give it ample opportunity to pass the parliament in advance of the next election.

It is up to Scott Morrison as to whether he allows debate on this bill after it hopefully passes the Senate in coming months.

WEDNESDAY, 4 AUGUST 2021