The Greens and Jacqui Lambie Network have moved to disallow a controversial $18m grant to a leadership foundation for which the governor general, David Hurley, personally lobbied the Morrison government.
Announced in the 2022 budget, the $18m to establish the Australian Future Leaders Program was probed by Labor in opposition due to concerns the foundation was not operational before the grant was announced without a competitive tender.
The Greens justice spokesperson, David Shoebridge, and JLN senator Tammy Tyrrell have both lodged disallowance motions of regulations that facilitate the grant – a move that could see it cancelled as early as Thursday with no funds paid if Labor joins the push. Independent MP Monique Ryan has registered a similar objection in the lower house.
According to the explanatory statement for the regulation, the department of the prime minister and cabinet confirmed it would undertake a “closed and non-competitive selection grant process to enter into a four-year grant agreement” with the Australian Future Leaders Foundation Limited.
The regulation states that “merits review” of the grant decision would not be appropriate because it was of a “one-off” nature.
In April 2022 the ABC reported that a spokesperson for Hurley confirmed there had been “several conversations” between him and Scott Morrison dating back to 2020 in relation to the program.
“Ultimately public funding is a decision for the government,” the spokesperson reportedly said. “The governor general will continue to advocate for the program and support it once it is launched.”
The prime minister’s department has previously said due diligence was carried out before the funding was awarded.
Shoebridge said the grant was “an $18m mates deal that was agreed in private after repeated lobbying of the former prime minister by the governor general”.
Shoebridge alleged that this lobbying “impacts on the political independence of the governor general”.
“We can’t have the governor general owing the government of the day any favours if we want to keep that position out of politics.”
Shoebridge said that Morrison should have rejected requests to support the program, to protect the independence of the governor general’s office.
Tyrrell said the circumstances of the grant were “pretty weird”, sharing on social media that JLN had also moved a disallowance.
The Governor-General lobbying the gov for $18 million in funding for a program that doesn’t seem to do anything, that doesn’t even have a website, and wasn’t publicly disclosed, is all pretty weird.
— Tammy Tyrrell (@TammyTyrrell_) September 5, 2022
We’re doing something about it. If it’s kosher, fine. If it’s not, we’ll end it. pic.twitter.com/wQH3Q22JVd
In the House of Representatives, Ryan and independent Andrew Wilkie also moved a disallowance.
“There is insufficient evidence supporting this peculiar grant,” Ryan said.
“It must be disallowed and reviewed with rigour.”
Today, I lodged notice of a motion to disallow the Morrison govt’s mysterious $18m ‘special grant’ for a non-operational leadership program, co-signed by @WilkieMP
— Dr Monique Ryan MP (@Mon4Kooyong) September 5, 2022
There is insufficient evidence supporting this peculiar grant.
It must be disallowed and reviewed with rigour. pic.twitter.com/RtstiZOwnD
Guardian Australia contacted Morrison and Hurley for comment.
