Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the minister representing the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Senator Watt. Could the minister outline the findings of the ANAO's report into the Building Better Regions Fund?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Sterle, as a matter of fact I can. I know this is something that you followed very closely in your role as the chair RRAT, the committee we know affectionately as RRAT in this place. I don't know about you, Senator Sterle, but I thought that the election defeat that we saw recently of the former coalition government meant that once and for all the coalition's rorts had ended—the scandals, the rorts, the media reports, finally we might be making it clear of that. But, sadly, these reports have not even ended with the defeat of this government because last week the Australian National Audit Office released yet another scathing report into the former government's management of the $1.15 billion Building Better Regions Fund.

This report confirmed what we already knew about the former government. It was the latest rort from a government notorious for rorts: sports rorts, car-park rorts, stacking the AAT—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Watt, resume your seat, and I would ask you to look to me when you're answering questions so you can see that I am asking you to sit down. Senator Rennick.

Gerard Rennick (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Point of order, President: the Auditor-General is a partisan hack whose credibility was trashed in the Leppington Triangle.

Honourable senators interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Rennick, resume your seat. There is no point of order. Minister Wong, I've given you the call.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Point of order, President. Obviously, the Auditor-General can't defend themselves The point of order is that I'd ask that you ensure the Auditor-General are advised of what has just been said in order that the Auditor-General can avail themselves of the protections which exist under Hansard.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Minister Wong. I'm not sure that it is my job to advise outside bodies, but I'll seek the advice of the clerk, and if it is I will do so. Senator Watt, please continue your comments.

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think Senator Rennick's interjection indicates exactly why the former government cared so little about accountability if that's the way in which they regarded the high office of Auditor-General of this country.

What the report released last week showed is that communities in regional Australia have been dudded, as the coalition actively ignored grant guidelines for their own political purposes in the largest open and competitive grants program available for regional projects. Regional communities with projects assessed as deserving were dumped to accommodate the political needs of a desperate, failing government in its final hours.

Honourable senators interjecting—

Now, we always said in the run-up to the election that the coalition spent public money like it was Liberal-National Party money.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Watt, please resume your seat. I would ask senators to be quiet when the minister's answering the question because I need to hear the answers as well as other senators in this place. Senator Watt, please continue.

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As I say, we said repeatedly that the coalition spent public money like it was the Liberal and National parties' money, and here is yet more proof in this fund. Regional Australia deserves better. Taxpayers deserve better, and they'll get it from this government. (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Sterle, first supplementary?

Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What did the ANAO report find regarding panel composition and record-keeping of decisions, Minister?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Sterle. One of the worst aspects of the report tabled last week was what it had to say about ministerial panel composition and record-keeping of decisions. That presumes that there was record-keeping of decisions, which, of course, there was not. Instead of transparent, accountable decision-making, ministerial decisions were shrouded in secrecy. The ministerial panel made decisions on the basis of 'choose your own adventure' criteria—a non-exhaustive list of other factors that were not fully explained to those applying for grants.

I know that the Nationals have again said this was all about supporting the regions, but, of course, what happened with this program was that some regional areas were dumped to favour certain other regional areas. Would they maybe have been regional areas that had the right colour code next to them in a spreadsheet? We all know that's how the Nationals went about decision-making. Who benefited most from this? It was the Nationals. The Nationals benefited the most, as proper process was actively ignored. Those seats got $104 million more than they would have if the proper process had been followed. (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Sterle, a second supplementary?

Honourable senators interjecting—

Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Madam President.

Goodness me!

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Sterle, resume your seat. I'll wait for quiet before I call Senator Sterle again, Senator McKenzie. Senator Sterle.

Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

With pleasure. Thank you, Madam President. Minister, are you aware of any other programs where similar concerns to those identified by the ANAO have been raised?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Again, Senator Sterle, as a matter of fact, I do, because all you need to do is look at year after year of the record of the former government to find rort after rort after rort after rort—

Hon. Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister Watt, resume your seat. I'm waiting for quiet until I ask the minister to resume his remarks. Minister Watt.

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I can understand why Senator McKenzie, of all people, gets a bit toey when we talk about rorts in this chamber because, of course, we have had sports rorts, where almost half the projects that were funded were actually ineligible for funding until they had the colour coded spreadsheet that emerged out of Senator McKenzie's office. We've got the car park rorts—$660 million of rorts—which the former government used simply to target their own marginal seats. And, while those opposite love to name-check regional communities, when it comes to funding them, the Auditor-General found that 27 per cent of regional grants awarded by the Commonwealth between 2018 and 2021 actually went to recipients from major cities. Remember the regional pool that just happened to be in North Sydney? That's how much they care about regions. They will rort till they die, and that's why they're out of government. (Time expired)