David Feeney (Batman, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Justice) Share this | Hansard source

Minister, my questions go to the selection process and eligibility for the Safer Streets program. As you would be aware, the target group for funding under the first funding round for the Safer Streets program were those organisations identified before October 2013. That is to say that some $19.3 million was set aside by you and allocated for projects, but only able to go to those organisations identified by you before October 2013. Those organisations identified by you have since been invited by you to apply for funding under the Safer Streets program by the Abbott government. As a consequence, organisations that were not hand-picked by you prior to October 2013, including those that had already been approved for funding under the former NCPF program, were barred from applying.

My question to you is: what did the selection process for identifying these organisations involve? What was the selection criteria used to identify successful and unsuitable organisations? Who identified the organisations to receive the funding? How did the selectors gain access to these organisations and determine they were suitable for the program? How were these organisations identified? Who identified them? Who reviewed these applications? When did the selection process commence? How long after the selection process began were successful organisations identified? When were the organisations informed that they had been chosen as funding recipients? Was there any consideration made for organisations that had been approved for funding under the previous NCPF? Given that successful organisations were hand-picked by you prior to the 2013 election, how did you assure that there was political neutrality? What processes were put in place to ensure an unbiased selection process?

Minister, I am very keen for you to enlighten us on these important issues. I note, with time being difficult, that on 16 June 2010, in proud, fine words in this place you said:

Surely for ministers of the Crown it is not that difficult to come in here and answer questions for 35 minutes on areas within their portfolio without going through this ludicrous parody of government members getting up and asking dorothy dixer questions and the minister then reading a prepared answer.

It is sad to see those fine sentiments turn to dust now that you are in office, but, having concluded your dorothy dixers—

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