The Australian National Audit Office has found that government program aimed at funding projects that will create more jobs in regional Australia approved projects that did not meet the criteria and applications that were submitted after the deadline.
The Coalition rolled out the Regional Jobs and Investment Packages Program, (RJIP) after the 2016 election. The aim of the $220 milion program is to fund projects that will lead to more jobs in regional Australia.
An investigation conducted by the he Australian National Audit Office found that a panel of ministers approved funds for several projects that were not recommended by the Ministry of Infrastructure.
The investigation begun after the Office of the Auditor General received complains from Labour MPs who were concerned that the Government was prioritizing projects in favor of the Coalition.
The report found that the panel decline to accept 28% of the recommended applications, while giving funds to 17% of the not recommended ones and also highlighted issues with the management of conflict of interest.
The findings have caused a reaction from the Opposition, with Labour saying the Government needs to provide clarification on the points the report mentions.
Speaking at Sky News, Labour MP Tanya Plibersek said the government released the finding on the day of the Melbourne Cup in order to attract less attention.
''Isn't it amazing that you would release a report like that when everybody's obsessing over the Melbourne Cup? I mean, this is a shocking report that shows that money was directed to projects that were not recommended by the responsible department, that ministers interfered in the selection of projects. How cynical is it that we've got a government that thinks that they can slip it out in the shadow of the Melbourne Cup and no one will notice? It's so dodgy'' she said.
A spokeswoman for Deputy PM Michael McCormack said the report ''concluded that there was no bias in the assessment and decision-making process concerning funding of projects in RJIP regions over others.''
Mr McCormack was one of the people that sat in the panel of ministers, along with Darren Chester and Bridget McKenzie.
