LABOR LIES ON GRANT FUNDING

A recent article was published in The Kiama Bugle entitled, ‘Kiama’s canine community secures new dog park’.

I am absolutely thrilled that by working with Kiama Council and the NSW Government we were able to secure a grant which will provide for a fenced dog park for Jamberoo.

Sadly, a Sydney-based Labor MLC attempted to re-write history and claim ‘credit’ for this project and the funding. This Labor MLC had nothing to do with the project and was never involved in the allocation of funding.

Grant guidelines require Local Members of Parliament to be involved in the decision-making process around the Local Small Commitment Allocation Grant Program and these conversations were had directly between Kiama Council with me in July. I have email records which confirm these communications with council’s then works director, Michael Malone.

I supported the grant and received confirmation from the NSW Government that the funds we requested would be allocated.

Yesterday, without any notice to me, a Sydney-based NSW Labor MP and a Kiama Labor local councillor announced this grant without having been involved in the grant process. They were shamelessly trying to take the credit.

There have been serious claims from other parts of the State that the Local Small Commitment Allocation Grant program has been used by State Labor to use taxpayers’ money to promote Labor MPs, Councillors and candidates.

There have been calls for a Parliamentary Inquiry into this grant program based on allegations of serious misuse of taxpayers’ funds. I will work with my independent colleagues to see this parliamentary inquiry established and I will be referring this latest incident.

I will also be referring an incident where Labor’s former candidate for Kiama, having lost the election, opened a taxpayer-funded project on behalf of the NSW Government in Minnamurra.

In my view, these two examples show NSW Labor is more interested in taking the credit than doing the work.

Whilst Labor may think our electorate are foolish, Kiama locals are in no doubt who turns up to work and who just turns up for the photo-opp.