Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Disability Reform) Share this | Hansard source

As I said in my opening remarks, the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit released a letter from the Auditor-General alleging that I had contravened the Commonwealth grant guidelines and this was reported in the media as well. As I was going on to say, the other nine grants referred to in the report relate to emergency relief funding which is provided to community organisations to help families in crisis. At least one of the organisations listed is not even in my electorate. In relation to the others, I was not the decision maker in making these grants; that responsibility was delegated to the relevant state manager of my department. Therefore I did not approve the funding. There is no requirement to report to the minister for finance. Any suggestion otherwise is entirely inaccurate.

The Department of Finance and Deregulation has confirmed—

Opposition members interjecting—

These are serious allegations which I am refuting.

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