Labor plans on making the government’s record on integrity a cornerstone of its election campaign, as it seeks to highlight “failures” of the last eight years of Coalition government.
In her first major speech since “government accountability” was added to her portfolio, Kristina Keneally outlined what she said was the Morrison government’s flouting of accountability.
The speech included no new announcements, with Keneally demurring on making any policy or spending commitments for Labor ahead of its national conference next month, refusing to explain how the opposition could uphold its promise to leave nobody behind when it was already looking for budget cost-cutting savings.
Instead, Keneally kept the spotlight squarely on the government’s stumbles and controversies, as she began making Labor’s case to get angry over the state of politics, rather than cynical.
“In short, when voters’ cynicism grows, politicians like Scott Morrison flourish,” Keneally said, in a speech which mentioned the prime minister’s name 36 times.
Revisiting previous Labor attacks on sports rorts, the Leppington triangle sale, political appointments, market research, advertising spend and the aged care response during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, Keneally said there was yet to be any consequences.
“When there are seemingly no consequences for gross incompetence and no penalties for scandalous negligence – that’s what undermines belief in the system and respect for the institution,” she said.
“And apathy in the face of incompetence and scandal has been one of the hallmarks of this government for eight years.”
Keneally’s speech follows on from the Labor MP Julian Hill’s data compilation of Australia’s slide in international rankings released on Monday.
Using the line “where Scott Morrison goes, the marketing budget grows”, Keneally pointed to government grant programs, such as the now $2.5bn community development grants program, which has been increased by $2bn since its creation under the Abbott government.
Keneally accused the government of building an electoral war chest worth up to $5bn with its grants programs, some of which can only be applied for by invitation from the government, with Coalition electorates overwhelmingly represented in the recipients.
“Billions of dollars in public funds, discreetly parked in the budget and given away – usually at the complete discretion of ministers – because no one needs the auditor to come sniffing again – money to be provided to hand-picked electorates when the electoral timing is right,” she said.
“The perfect pork barrel programmed into the budget year after year, normalising a blatant misuse of taxpayers’ funds for the Liberal party’s political purposes.”
Keneally said half of the first Abbott ministry “have received appointments or other favours from the Liberal government, got jobs with organisations they worked with as ministers, or lobby their colleagues for cash”.
“This means that, right now, Scott Morrison is quietly spending millions of taxpayers’ dollars to fund the lifestyles of former Abbott government ministers,” she said.
Labor is treating 2020 as an election year, even though not all MPs are convinced Morrison will head to the polls in August-October as tipped, with the caucus having been told voters will judge the party on its performance this year.
To that end, Labor’s slogan, “on your side”, a riff on the Billy Bragg 1984 song Which Side Are You On, has been used with repeated intensity, with versions appearing at least 17 times in Keneally speech, as well as Labor’s press releases and questions on notice.
