‘Shady’ Labor election grants under inquiry spotlight

Anthony Albanese’s advocacy for the Marrickville Golf Club will come under the microscope in a parliamentary probe into an invite-only $560 million funding pot.

However, key ministers, staffers and the club itself will not appear before the committee, making it harder to gain key insights.

Over two days beginning Wednesday, senators will review the controversial Major and Local Community Infrastructure Program, which funded a series of Labor’s 2025 election promises around the country.

The Centre for Public Integrity sounded the alarm on the non-competitive grant round in September in a report titled “public money, political advantage”.

Analysis shows that funding was tilted towards marginal seats and Labor-held seats.

The government defends the scheme as an above-board mechanism to deliver on its promises, but good governance groups believe it is unmeritorious spending.

Constitutional lawyer Anne Twomey has called the spending “grey corruption”.

Greens deputy leader Steph Hodgins-May, who launched the probe, said the central question was who made the calls to allow projects to access the funds.

In its submission to the committee, the infrastructure department said it had “no role identifying, selecting or recommending” projects.

“If the department had no role in identifying or selecting applicants, or advising those who did, we’re left with the obvious question: who made these decisions?” Senator Hodgins-May said.

“The evidence is pointing towards an extraordinary level of ministerial and party discretion to hand out millions of dollars through a closed-off and shady grants process.”

While Infrastructure Minister Catherine King and other Labor figures will not appear before the committee, Inner West Council Mayor Darcy Byrne will do so on Wednesday.

The Labor-led council sponsored the most contentious of the funded projects: $6 million to a golf course in Mr Albanese’s electorate.

The prime minister has a history of advocacy for the par-60 course, including three times promising to fund an upgraded verandah if elected in 2013, 2016 and 2019.

While that funding didn’t transpire as Labor lost the elections, by the 2025 campaign, the pledge had morphed into a multimillion-dollar renovation of the clubhouse and grounds.

Mr Albanese defended the funding as necessary to stop sewage during flooding, however the funding plans from the golf course do not show this as part of their redevelopment.