Crossbench rallies against “pork barreling” after electorates miss out

Crossbench MPs and Senators are calling on the federal government to strengthen the Commonwealth grants system after Indi MP Helen Haines labelled a recent round of community infrastructure program grants “pork barrelling by design”. Analysis from the Centre for Public Integrity (CPI) released on Tuesday found funding through the government’s $560 million Local and Major Community Infrastructure Program (MLCIP) was nearly three-quarters concentrated in a small number of marginal and Labor-held federal electorates. The Indi electorate was among 45 nationwide that weren’t invited into the program and did not receive any funding. Dr Haines said she raised the concerns in parliament after local organisations in the electorate asked how they could get access through the program. “This is more than $560 million of taxpayers’ money, yet communities across Australia weren’t given a genuine opportunity to put forward projects and compete fairly for funding,” she said. “Public money should go where there is genuine community need and demonstrated merit, not political advantage.” Dr Haines and fellow Independent MPs say the government has failed to explain what criteria was used to issue invitations to the program and the government must strengthen the grants system to restore public confidence. “Sports rorts was pork barrelling by deception, this is pork barrelling by design,” Dr Haines said. “Australians are increasingly fed up with a self-serving political establishment, and pork barrelling only further undermines trust in government and our democracy.” The crossbenchers are calling for mandatory, enforceable standards for grants administration, instead of a non-binding framework; greater transparency about how funding decisions are made against selection criteria; and a non-government-chaired parliamentary committee. That committee would include crossbench participants to oversee grants administration and compliance with the Commonwealth grants rules and principles. “Australians are increasingly fed up with self-serving political establishment, and pork barrelling only further undermines trust in government and our democracy,” Dr Haines said. Dr Haines previously sought reforms through her End Pork Barreling Bill introduced in parliament in 2024. The bill proposed to ensure grants had open application processes, transparent merit-based assessment and independent parliamentary oversight. “My private members legislation would serve as a safeguard and won’t stop governments investing in local infrastructure,” she said. “It would make sure funding is allocated fairly, transparently and in the public interest.”

Crossbench rallies against “pork barreling” after electorates miss out

Wangaratta Chronicle, Wednesday, 9 September, 2026

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