Research // Robyn Seth-Purdie

The Australia Institute Tasmania The Australia Institute South Australia
Centre for Future Work Nordic Policy Centre Centre for Responsible Technology
ACT NSW NT QLD SA TAS VIC WA

November 2021

Governance & Government Agencies, Integrity Commissions, Tax, Spending & the Budget

Grants with Ministerial Discretion

Distribution Analysis
by Hannah Melville-Rea, Robyn Seth-Purdie and Bill Browne

$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

Elections, Politics & Parties, Inequality

Identifying the problem

Voter ID laws a solution in search of a problem
by Bill Browne, Robyn Seth-Purdie and Tony Shields

The Government’s proposed voter ID laws risk discouraging Australians from voting, in defiance of the country’s proud history of ensuring everyone can and does vote. There is no evidence that voter fraud is a problem or that voter ID would address it. The Government’s priority should be the 2.7 million Australians whose votes were not