Senator Kristina Keneally has called on the audit office to investigate whether Peter Dutton directed funds for a community security program toward Liberal Party electorates in the lead up to the 2019 election.
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The Labor senator said on Thursday she had written a letter to the Auditor-General asking the office to undertake a performance audit on a fund, administered by Home Affairs, dedicated to improving community safety.
The Safer Communities Fund, created in 2016, provides funding to organisations to address crime prevention and community safety. The department has said $180 million has been handed out in the five years it's been available.
But the third round of funding was adjusted by the Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton, as revealed in freedom of information documents released to the ABC, and redirected to a handpicked list by the senior minister against the department's recommendations.
Senator Keneally said his actions suggested he was redirecting the funds toward Liberal Party electorates in order to guarantee safer victories there.
"It seems Peter Dutton was not trying to make communities safer, but rather he was using taxpayers' money to make Government and marginal Labor and independent seats safer for the Liberal Party," Senator Keneally said.
"Australians deserve to know whether their community missed out on needed safety equipment, like CCTV cameras, and being safer because of Peter Dutton's pre-election Safer Seats Rorts wheeling and dealing."
Senator Keneally said Mr Dutton had also granted a one-off discretionary fund to the National Retail Association following a donation to the Liberal-National Party.
She added former Minister Bridget McKenzie, who will face a Senate committee on Friday afternoon regarding her involvement in the sports rorts saga, was made to resign after it was revealed she had failed to disclose a conflict of interest.
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According to the ABC's investigation, the Department of Home Affairs identified 70 community-based safety initiatives worthy of the funding pool.
Mr Dutton then reduced the funding of 19 of the highest-scoring initiatives on the department's list, redirecting the money to other programs, including two within his Queensland electorate.
Funding guidelines permit ministers to disregard merit-based lists provided by the departments.
Sarah Basford Canales
I'm a federal politics and public sector reporter with an interest in national security, integrity and regulation. Contact me with general tips and thoughts at sarah.basfordcanales@canberratimes.com.au or confidential tips to sbasfordcanales@protonmail.com.
I'm a federal politics and public sector reporter with an interest in national security, integrity and regulation. Contact me with general tips and thoughts at sarah.basfordcanales@canberratimes.com.au or confidential tips to sbasfordcanales@protonmail.com.
