The Coalition and Labor have promised more than $40m to sporting clubs that benefited from the government’s infamous “sports rorts” grant program, including those with projects ranked with low merit scores and not recommended for funding.
A Guardian Australia analysis of election promises made since the beginning of the year shows that the two major parties have promised more than $550m combined to almost 200 different sports clubs in the lead up to the election, with about $260m pledged by the Coalition and $290m promised by Labor.
Of these, about $41m has been promised to sporting clubs that received funding under the Community Sport Infrastructure Program, and another $20m to organisations that applied but missed out under the scheme.
The auditor general found that the Coalition used the scheme to award $100m in sport grants that were not assessed on their merits in order to favour “targeted” Coalition seats ahead of the May 2019 election.
But in a sign that neither side has heeded calls for taxpayer funds to be awarded according to a more rigorous independent assessment process, organisations that were awarded funding against the recommendations of the department are now in line for more election-time cash.
This includes $5m promised by the Liberal MP Alan Tudge for the Boronia Hawks Football Netball Club in the seat of Aston for a new pavilion, after the organisation successfully secured $190,000 for a lighting upgrade in the community sports grant program.
The lighting project only received a merit score of 54 – well below the 75 threshold judged by the department to represent the most meritorious projects.
In the Labor-held marginal seat of Blair, the Liberal National party candidate, Sam Biggins, has promised the Ipswich Basketball Association $3.9m for an expansion of its facilities, after its successful bid for $50,000 for “project improvements” was judged to have a merit score of 58.
Labor, meanwhile, has promised $8.5m to an upgrade of the Nepean Football Club’s Cook Park base in the marginal Liberal-held seat of Lindsay, which received just $15,000 under the sports rorts program for a project with a merit score of 67.
The new $8.5m commitment will fund synthetic football fields, walking tracks, grandstand upgrades, outdoor health and fitness equipment, additional car parking, and tree planting and landscape works.
Labor will also provide $350,000 for a major upgrade of the Officer Tennis Club in the seat of La Trobe, which received about $40,000 for lighting upgrades despite the project having a merit score of just 60.
Several other projects being promised by Labor include some clubs which missed out on funding under the community sports program despite receiving high-ranked assessments, including $3m for the Kingborough Lions United Football Club in Tasmania, $4m for the Langford Indoor Netball Centre in the seat of Burt in Western Australia and $2.4m for Thomas Hall in the WA seat of Brand.
The Coalition has also promised funding for organisations that had high merit scores, including an extra $2.5m for the Brothers Rugby Club in Brisbane that received $500,000 for a project ranked at 81 points, and Central Reserve in Colac in the seat of Wannon which received $425,000 after missing out under the community sports program despite having a merit score of 95.
Overall, sporting clubs are being lavished with funding promises in the lead up to the 21 May poll, with millions of dollars being directed to marginal seat campaigns on both sides.
Sport-related promises have dominated the announcements from both parties, accounting for one-third of Labor’s seat-specific announcements so far, and 15% of the Coalition’s.
About half ($270m) of the total $550m has been pledged to sporting groups in marginal seats, including seven of the 10 largest commitments that top $15m each.
The largest sports promises of the campaign have been made by Labor, with $25m promised in the marginal Tasmanian seat of Braddon for sports facilities in Devonport, $25m for the Alkimos Aquatic Centre in the marginal seat of Pearce in WA, both held by the Liberal party, and $20m for a stadium in the marginal outer Brisbane seat of Blair held by Labor.
The biggest sports promises made by the Coalition include $20m for the North Bellarine Aquatic and Leisure Centre in the Labor-held marginal seat of Corangamite, while in the marginal seat of Dunkley it is promising $15m for the Frankston Basketball Stadium and $15m for the Emil Madsen Reserve.
Both the Coalition and Labor have faced questions about their pre-election spending promises, with the prime minister, Scott Morrison, dismissing questions about pork barrelling in the lead up to election day, saying the government supports local communities through grants.
“We believe passionately in the role of community organisations as Liberals and Nationals,” Morrison said in the opening week of the election campaign.
“What we think is that communities and individuals in communities who take responsibility for their communities, through their not-for-profit organisations, through their local sporting clubs, we think they should be supported. We think they should be backed in. So I’m really pleased that my government has and we’re going to keep doing it.”
Asked at the National Press Club about Labor’s decision to fund $200,000 towards dog parks in the marginal seat of Macquarie, Labor’s shadow treasurer, Jim Chalmers, said “there is a time for investment in communities”.
“But you need to make sure that that spending is well motivated, that it’s not politically motivated.”
The Coalition has also promised $320,000 for a dog park in La Trobe.
