Latest news with #Labor-held
Sydney Morning Herald
19 hours ago
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
The $334 million Labor ‘slush fund' for regional roads
The state government's $334 million Regional Roads Fund has come under scrutiny by the NSW Auditor-General – the second Labor election funding scheme examined by the Audit Office in a matter of months. None of the 30 projects allocated funding, including $50 million for an upgrade around the corner from Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison's residence in the Hunter, were subject to a business case assessment ahead of the state election in March 2023. Established as a mechanism to allocate commitments made by Labor while in opposition, the fund has been widely criticised by the Nationals because funded projects are overwhelmingly in Labor-held or targeted seats, with none in the state's west. The state government has argued that distribution of funding was necessary after years of Coalition underinvestment in these areas. Of projects funded under the Regional Roads Fund, $40 million will be spent on the planning and design of the Gosford bypass, a further $20 million on the Bulli Bypass investigation and $12 million for improvements to the Golden Highway. A draft of the Audit Office's 2025-26 performance audits list was obtained by the Herald and later confirmed by the agency, which said the final report was expected to be tabled later in 2025. The audit was made public after this masthead's inquiry. 'This audit will examine whether Transport for NSW administered grants to councils through the RRF program in compliance with the Grants Administration Guide and relevant administrative and legislative requirements,' the Audit Office's website states. A spokeswoman for the Audit Office said: 'As the audit has commenced, Transport for NSW has been engaged as the auditee and is familiar with the scope and timelines for the audit.' It is the second government fund examined by the Audit Office in just months. In late June, the NSW auditor-general, Bola Oyetunji, handed down a report considering the Local Small Commitments Allocation (LSCA), a grants fund set up to distribute $400,000 commitments in every electorate. Oyetunji said 'key steps' in the administration of the fund could not be examined because they were carried out while Labor was in opposition. Moreover, there was 'insufficient evidence' that some community projects represented value for money. More than 50 conflicts had not been identified and managed, the Audit Office found.
The Age
19 hours ago
- Business
- The Age
The $334 million Labor ‘slush fund' for regional roads
The state government's $334 million Regional Roads Fund has come under scrutiny by the NSW Auditor-General – the second Labor election funding scheme examined by the Audit Office in a matter of months. None of the 30 projects allocated funding, including $50 million for an upgrade around the corner from Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison's residence in the Hunter, were subject to a business case assessment ahead of the state election in March 2023. Established as a mechanism to allocate commitments made by Labor while in opposition, the fund has been widely criticised by the Nationals because funded projects are overwhelmingly in Labor-held or targeted seats, with none in the state's west. The state government has argued that distribution of funding was necessary after years of Coalition underinvestment in these areas. Of projects funded under the Regional Roads Fund, $40 million will be spent on the planning and design of the Gosford bypass, a further $20 million on the Bulli Bypass investigation and $12 million for improvements to the Golden Highway. A draft of the Audit Office's 2025-26 performance audits list was obtained by the Herald and later confirmed by the agency, which said the final report was expected to be tabled later in 2025. The audit was made public after this masthead's inquiry. 'This audit will examine whether Transport for NSW administered grants to councils through the RRF program in compliance with the Grants Administration Guide and relevant administrative and legislative requirements,' the Audit Office's website states. A spokeswoman for the Audit Office said: 'As the audit has commenced, Transport for NSW has been engaged as the auditee and is familiar with the scope and timelines for the audit.' It is the second government fund examined by the Audit Office in just months. In late June, the NSW auditor-general, Bola Oyetunji, handed down a report considering the Local Small Commitments Allocation (LSCA), a grants fund set up to distribute $400,000 commitments in every electorate. Oyetunji said 'key steps' in the administration of the fund could not be examined because they were carried out while Labor was in opposition. Moreover, there was 'insufficient evidence' that some community projects represented value for money. More than 50 conflicts had not been identified and managed, the Audit Office found.
Sydney Morning Herald
07-06-2025
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
Muslim Vote to support candidates in NSW, Victorian elections
A pro-Palestine political movement that failed to win a seat at the May federal election has vowed to push on and support candidates for the upcoming Victorian and NSW state elections. The Muslim Vote endorsed independent candidates in three Labor-held seats – Watson and Blaxland in western Sydney and Calwell in Melbourne's north-west. Its greatest success was in Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke's seat of Watson, where independent Ziad Basyouny was the second-most popular candidate on a two-candidate preferred basis. Burke, who was accused of 'vote buying' after holding pre-election mass citizenship ceremonies in Sydney's culturally diverse western suburbs, still comfortably won the seat, receiving 66 per cent of the vote after preferences were distributed. In Education Minister Jason Clare's seat of Blaxland, Ahmed Ouf won 18.76 per cent of first preferences, but the Liberal candidate was second-preferred. In Calwell, Samim Moslih only garnered 6.85 per cent of first preferences. Despite failing to win a seat, Muslim Vote convenor Sheikh Wesam Charkawi said the results were a 'significant step' that 'demonstrated the model works'. In each seat, the independent campaign ate into both Labor and the Liberals' first preference vote distribution from the 2022 federal election. 'One form of success in the political arena is unseating the sitting minister. Another form is winning hearts and minds of the masses, setting the foundations for future challenges,' Charkawi said. 'We've had an avalanche of people reach out to us post-election, either to be candidates or to support our work ... The community isn't backing down. We all want to continue.'
The Age
07-06-2025
- Politics
- The Age
Muslim Vote to support candidates in NSW, Victorian elections
A pro-Palestine political movement that failed to win a seat at the May federal election has vowed to push on and support candidates for the upcoming Victorian and NSW state elections. The Muslim Vote endorsed independent candidates in three Labor-held seats – Watson and Blaxland in western Sydney and Calwell in Melbourne's north-west. Its greatest success was in Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke's seat of Watson, where independent Ziad Basyouny was the second-most popular candidate on a two-candidate preferred basis. Burke, who was accused of 'vote buying' after holding pre-election mass citizenship ceremonies in Sydney's culturally diverse western suburbs, still comfortably won the seat, receiving 66 per cent of the vote after preferences were distributed. In Education Minister Jason Clare's seat of Blaxland, Ahmed Ouf won 18.76 per cent of first preferences, but the Liberal candidate was second-preferred. In Calwell, Samim Moslih only garnered 6.85 per cent of first preferences. Despite failing to win a seat, Muslim Vote convenor Sheikh Wesam Charkawi said the results were a 'significant step' that 'demonstrated the model works'. In each seat, the independent campaign ate into both Labor and the Liberals' first preference vote distribution from the 2022 federal election. 'One form of success in the political arena is unseating the sitting minister. Another form is winning hearts and minds of the masses, setting the foundations for future challenges,' Charkawi said. 'We've had an avalanche of people reach out to us post-election, either to be candidates or to support our work ... The community isn't backing down. We all want to continue.'
West Australian
14-05-2025
- Politics
- West Australian
NSW Premier Chris Minns and Opposition Leader Mark Speakman slam anti-abortion activist Joanna Howe over misinformation, bullying claims
NSW Premier Chris Minns has joined Opposition Leader Mark Speakman in accusing an anti-abortion activist of spreading 'misinformation', hours before parliamentarians vote on a hotly contested bill seeking to expand access to abortions in the state. Mr Minns accused campaigner Dr Joanna Howe on Wednesday of spreading an 'enormous amount of misinformation' on social media, but noted he did not blame her for a rumour that consciences objectors would be compelled to perform abortions. 'It's whipped up a lot of good people in the community, believing that the reform changes, the legislative changes, are far more extensive than they are,' Mr Minns said. 'I think that there are genuine differences, particularly when you have a matter as sensitive as abortion. 'It's not helped by putting an enormous amount of misinformation. 'As for threatening politicians about what you will and won't do, well that's a matter for activists. But, generally speaking, Australian politicians, regardless of their background or ideology, react incredibly poorly to that kind of threat.' Mr Speakman on Tuesday night accused Ms Howe, who is self-described as 'the lead advocate' against the bill, of 'brazen bullying' following an email in which she told the Liberal leader she would halt a campaign targeting Labor seats. 'Should Premier Minns vote for the bill and enable its passage, I will be leading a 20-month campaign across five marginal seats that are currently Labor-held but are also in socially conservative electorates,' Mr Speakman said Ms Howe said. 'However, if you choose to vote for the bill, I will be left with no other choice but to suspend my planned campaign against Labor in order to lead a public campaign aimed at encouraging a grassroots opposition to you as Liberal leader.' In response, Mr Speakman said he would 'not cave to brazen bullying like this nor to the Americanisation of NSW politics. I will vote according to my conscience and balance difficult and sensitive ethical, social, moral and medical concerns. 'I thank all constituents who have contacted me. I have carefully considered their sincere and varying views. I will therefore vote for the bill. I think that, on balance, the bill will make no material difference to the rate of abortion in NSW. 'It will not interfere with freedom of conscience and will probably lead to better, not worse, health outcomes for many pregnant women seeking abortions.' Mr Speakman said some opposition to the bill was 'based on misinformation' and that 'the attacks on freedom of conscience and freedom of religion in the original bill have now been removed by successful amendments.' The Liberal leader described the bill as a 'shadow of its former self' and could 'no longer be characterised as a 'radical Greens bill'', noting that there was 'no way I could have voted for the bill in its original form'. Those views were somewhat reflected by Mr Minns on Wednesday. The Premier told the media he would support the bill 'in its current incarnation'. 'I couldn't have supported the removal of conscientious objection, but it's not in the bill anymore,' he said. The bill, introduced by upper house Greens MP Dr Amanda Cohn in February, would expand access to abortions by allowing nurse practitioners to supply medication to terminate pregnancies of up to nine weeks in gestation. It will be voted on tonight in the NSW Legislative Assembly where, if passed, it will become law. The vote comes after a raft of amendments, including the removal of provisions to empower the Health Minister to compel public health services to comply with directions to offer abortion services and would require practitioners who object to abortion to refer a patient to someone who will perform the abortion. The bill has stirred fiery debate since it was tabled. In a parliamentary debate last week, upper house Liberal MP Chris Rath compared abortion to the Nazi genocide of Jews, stating 'it is bizarre that abortion is increasingly being categorised as a human right to health care'. Mr Rath later apologised for the statement. In Facebook video on Wednesday, Ms Howe claimed Mr Speakman's speech had been leaked to the media 'because they think it will stop me from speaking', and vowed to publish the email to 'let you guys decide' if she was a 'bully'.
