Ministers intervened to change grant outcomes in nearly a quarter of assessed applications — overriding the recommendations of the public servants they employ. $1.2 billion in grants were approved without completed assessments. No published reasons. 41% of assessment panels didn't declare conflicts of interest.
$1.2B of Australian taxpayer money was misused at Department of Infrastructure. Ministers intervened to change grant outcomes in nearly a quarter of assessed applications — overriding the recommendations of the public servants they employ. $1.2 billion in grants were approved without completed assessments. No published reasons. 41% of assessment panels didn't declare conflicts of interest.
Spread across Australia's 10.8 million households, that's roughly $111 per family — enough in total for funding roughly 10 public hospitals for a full year.
The ANAO audit of grants administration found that ministerial offices intervened to change funding outcomes in nearly a quarter of assessed applications, overriding the merit-based assessments conducted by the department. $1.2 billion in grants were approved without completed assessments against the published eligibility and selection criteria. Only 34% of grants had milestone reporting in place, and conflict of interest declarations were missing for 41% of assessment panel members. This represents a systemic breakdown of the merit-based grants framework.
End the practice of ministers overriding merit-based grant assessments with no accountability.
Tracking the pressure trail — from publication to policy change. Empty boxes show what's left to do.
Every share puts pressure on the people responsible. Make it impossible to ignore.
3 active investigations. 15 completed. 0 in the queue.