06:33

Environment estimates has revisited last week’s controversy over the announcement of grants under the government’s communities environment program before applications had opened.



Chris Crewther, alongside the minister Melissa Price, announced that four organisations in his Dunkley electorate had been awarded funding.



Labor continues to ask the government how this was possible.

The government minister Simon Birmingham says Price and Crewther were “obviously confident” that the proposals from these groups would fall under the goals of the program and be awarded funding if the government is re-elected.

He said they were able to be confident because Price, in her ministerial capacity, has “particularly intrinsic knowledge” of the program.

That’s a new one.



“It doesn’t say much for process though does it?” Labor’s Jenny McAllister asks. Because the criteria we’ve just heard for the allocation of grants is yet to be developed and yet your evidence to us is that Minister Price and Mr Crewther, even in the absence of criteria, can guarantee to local groups that they’ll be successful. Why would anyone have confidence in a process like that?”

“Well Minister Price obviously has particularly intrinsic knowledge of the intent of the program and obviously the guidelines will be established to reflect that intent,” Birmingham replies.

McCallister: “Is this a new standard for government? That as long as the minister has knowledge of the intrinsic intent that she may just announce grant winners before grant criteria has been established?”

Birmingham: “Well, no, senator.”



McAllister: “It sounds like a new standard. I’ve never heard that sort of idea advanced as a standard governance process before, it’s quite odd.”



Birmingham: “I’ll take that as a comment, senator.”

