Investigate Downer novelty cheque: Labor
A giant novelty cheque could give the Morrison government a new headache.
A photo of the novelty cheque posted by Georgina Downer on her Facebook page.
Labor has asked the auditor-general to investigate how South Australian Liberal candidate Georgina Downer was able to present a taxpayer-funded grant before the local member, Rebekha Sharkie, even knew about it.
Downer, the Liberal Party’s candidate for the seat of Mayo, was pictured on social media handing out the prop cheque emblazoned with her image and name for more than $125,000 at Yankalilla Bowling Club.
Shadow attorney-general Mark Dreyfus has written to the Auditor-General, Grant Hehir, asking for the matter that he described as inappropriate and unacceptable to be investigated.
“I query how it is possible for Ms Downer, the unsuccessful candidate for the 2018 Mayo by-election and an unelected candidate for the upcoming federal election, to misuse a taxpayer-funded grant in this fashion,” Dreyfus wrote.
He’s asked Hehir to investigate the conduct of the Liberal party, Ms Downer and Sport Minister Bridget McKenzie.
Dreyfus said he understood Downer made the announcement to the Yankalilla Bowling Club before Ms Sharkie was made aware the funding had been granted.
Sharkie said she had helped the bowling club with getting the grant.
“In more than a decade of politics I’ve never seen a taxpayer-funded grant delivered by cheque with a candidate’s face and name on it. Rather desperate and misleading,” the crossbench MP tweeted.
Downer, the daughter of former foreign minister Alexander Downer, was comprehensively beaten by Sharkie at last July’s by-election but will try again at the upcoming general election.
Downer told the ABC today that she had personally lobbied the Sports Minister for the club’s upgrade, and after learning last Tuesday it had been approved the club had asked her to bring a novelty cheque to a Friday night function to celebrate.
She said there was no suggestion it was her money and that all present understood it was a Commonwealth grant.
-with AAP
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