This article is more than 6 months old

This article is more than 6 months old

A wealthy pentecostal church whose leader described the Liberal MP Lucy Wicks as a “dear friend” won thousands of dollars through a grant process Wicks wields influence over.

The Hope Unlimited Church, largely based on the New South Wales Central Coast, was awarded an $8,580 grant in November to upgrade its auditorium with soundproof acoustic panels and a new partition wall.

The grant was delivered through the federal government’s Stronger Communities scheme, which gives local politicians significant power in shaping who can receive money.

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Hope Unlimited Church is led by Mark and Darlene Zschech, a prominent Christian singer who previously worked alongside Hillsong’s Brian Houston.

Darlene Zschech has previously described Wicks, the MP for Robertson, as a “dear friend”.

Wicks has attended Hope Unlimited Church on multiple occasions, speaking on stage during a 2015 event and praising the church in parliament following a subsequent visit in 2017, saying it was “run by two incredible people, Mark and Darlene Zschech”.

Wicks has strongly denied any suggestion of a conflict between her position as the local MP, her links to Zschech and her role in the grants process.

Wicks said she was not a member of the church and that her relationship with Darlene Zschech was “purely professional” and within her remit as the local MP.

She said she had visited many churches in her electorate and such visits were “usually at the request of a church for their special events”.

“I can confirm at the time Hope Unlimited Church applied for the grant there was no conflict of interest,” Wicks told the Guardian. “I was not and am not currently a member of Hope UC. At the time of the grant, my engagement with Senior Pastor Darlene Zschech was of a purely professional nature and solely within the bounds of my role as the Member for Robertson.

“In fact, I have a similar level of engagement with many other leaders of local organisations including charities, churches, sporting groups and progress associations.”

The Guardian is not suggesting Hope Unlimited Church was not eligible for the grant or that Mark and Darlene Zschech have acted improperly in any way.

But the case again highlights the potential dangers of politicising grants schemes, an issue brought to the fore by Bridget McKenzie’s sports rorts saga.

A statement from Mark and Darlene Zschech said the church had no contact with Wicks about the grant application. They said the grant application was made after seeing advertising on social media.

“Lucy Wicks MP has attended HopeUC from time to time for special events by invitation and is welcome anytime, as is any Member of Parliament where we would enjoy praying for them,” their statement said.

Darlene Zschech said the “dear friend” reference to Wicks was simply an “expression of my gratitude for a person and their service to our community”.

The Stronger Communities program has rules designed to address any potential conflict of interest, including any “professional, commercial or personal relationship with a party who is able to influence the application selection process”.

Local MPs are obliged to declare any potential conflicts, as are applicants.

The broader grant process also gives significant power to MPs. Organisations wanting a grant must have a formal invite from the local MP to be eligible. Those without an invite are shut out of the process.

Politicians identify applicants and set up community consultative committees to consider their merits, before applications are assessed by the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources, the administering body.

The Hope Unlimited Church began on the NSW Central Coast but has built a global following through campuses in India and the US.

In 2018, the church disclosed assets worth $2.4m, an income of $2.2m and a small operating surplus of $71,327.

Wicks, who is currently chairing an inquiry into the administration of government grants, said she had invited more than 280 organisations to submit expressions of interest for grants, via email, print ads and social media.

“This is as broad as possible and inclusive of our database of all community organisations which is constantly updated,” Wicks said.

“I can confirm when there is a conflict of interest with a person or organisation, I have always disclosed this information to the Community Consultation Panel and exited the room. This includes any personal friendships.

“Australians rightly expect that their Members of Parliament are active in their communities and it’s my job every day to fight for the people of Robertson and advocate for their needs.”

Hope Unlimited Church has been contacted for comment.