Grants with Ministerial Discretion
Authors
Media release
Big Winners of $3.9b in Government Discretionary Grants are Coalition Marginal Seats
$3.9 billion has been spent by grants programs with ministerial discretion since 2013. $2.8 billion, or 71%, has been allocated to projects in Coalition seats. Funding has clearly favoured marginal seats at the expense of safe Labor seats and, in some cases, safe Coalition seats. In per capita terms, marginal Coalition seats have received $184 per person in national grants, while safe Labor seats received just $39 per person.