The Greens have today combined with the Government to block a Senate inquiry into Labor’s dodgy funding in the Mobile Black Spot Program. The vote was lost 31-30.
Under the Improving Mobile Coverage Round (IMCR) of the Mobile Black Spot Program, Minister Michelle Rowland hand-picked a list of sites to receive funding.
Seventy-four per cent of the sites on the Minister’s list are in Labor electorates, despite Labor holding just one third of regional seats.
This is a clear misuse taxpayer funds, designed to benefit the Labor Party.
Today the Senate voted on a motion to establish an inquiry into this sordid funding allocation. The inquiry would have enabled the Senate to probe the role of Minister Rowland and her office in dishing out these grants to Labor MPs. The Greens voted to block the inquiry.
This is utter hypocrisy from a party that claims to stand for transparency and integrity in Government.
The Government has been caught red-handed allocating an unfair proportion of funding to Labor electorates, and the Greens have voted to ensure that the Senate does not even look into the matter.
While the Greens may have blocked the Senate inquiry, this matter is far from over. Australians deserve answers about how this dodgy funding occurred and they will get them.
The Hon. David Coleman MP
Federal Member for Banks
Shadow Minister for Communications