KING, GILES & AYRES – MEDIA RELEASE – PORK AND RIDE SCANDAL GROWS – BILLIONS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF PROJECTS NOW IN QUESTION – THURSDAY, 11 NOVEMBER 2021

Evidence given at a Senate Inquiry today has brought billions of dollars-worth of infrastructure projects into question as the Morrison-Joyce Government’s pork and ride scandal expands to the entire $4.8 billion Urban Congestion Fund, with more dodgy announcements on their way ahead of the upcoming election.

In a hearing of the Finance and Public Administration Committee’s Inquiry into the Administration of the Urban Congestion Fund, the Australian National Audit Office confirmed that Liberal members, senators and candidates “weren’t just asked to bring forward their car park projects, they were asked to bring forward their UCF projects.”

Given that 83 per cent of funding went to coalition held or targeted seats, this is no surprise.

This followed evidence from Mr Tony Harris and Anthony Whealy QC, respectively a former Auditor-General of NSW and a retired judge of the NSW Court of Appeal, describing how the Morrison-Joyce Government’s Commuter Car Park Scheme was an “improper use of power” and “constitutes corrupt conduct”.

The Morrison-Joyce Government is out of control. Its only interest is making empty promises in marginal seats in a desperate attempt to cling to power.

We know from recent evidence at Estimates, that $890 million of the fund has not yet been committed and a further $2 billion is committed to projects that have next to no chance of ever seeing the light of day.

Only an Albanese Labor Government will create a real National Anti-Corruption Commission.

THURSDAY, 11 NOVEMBER 2021