Labor to introduce fed 'anti-rorting' bill
Labor is calling time on how the federal government hands out grants.
Labor finance spokeswoman Katy Gallagher will introduce an "anti-rorting bill" to parliament on Wednesday to allow the public to see how ministers make decisions about where taxpayer money is spent.
"There have been sports rorts, regional rorts, safer seats rorts and, most recently and perhaps most egregiously, the 'pork and ride' commuter car park rorts," Senator Gallagher said.
Labor wants the laws passed by December so Prime Minister Scott Morrison cannot "buy votes and win an election", she said.
The bill would require ministers who approve grants rejected by their departments or who award grants in their own electorates to report the decision to the finance minister within 30 days.
The reports would then need to be tabled in parliament within five sitting days to improve accountability and transparency of government decisions.
"This will dramatically reduce the time ministers are able to hide their dodgy decisions from the Australian community from up to 16 months down to just a couple of months," Senator Gallagher said.
If the bill passes the Senate in the coming months, it would be up to the Morrison government to allow debate on it in the lower house.
