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The dubious ability - and integrity - of the lead architect of Slater and Gordon's modern existence and purpose

The LNP quietly revived the Political Parties for Democracy travel program - now funding Young Labor's crime spree in the United States

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UNCLASSIFIED

Hi Michael, 

Thank you for your email below. 

In response to your question, on background, I can advise that:

The Australian Political Parties for Democracy Program was introduced in 2005.

In 2009, the Rudd Labor Government transferred the Australian Political Parties for Democracy Program from the Department of Finance to AusAID. 

In the 2014-15 Budget context, the Australian Political Parties for Democracy Program was transferred from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and is currently managed and administered by the Department of Finance.

Kind regards,

ENDS - Email from Finance Minister Matthias Corman's Department

We've published a range of material lately arising from the hidden camera sting on 4 Labor Party apparatchiks working illegally on the Democrat Presidential Campaign in the United States.   Their political guerrilla campaigns and crime spree were funded by the Australian taxpayer.  The question was how?

Wasn't Political Parties for Democracy cancelled in 2014?

Yes it was, amidst much cost-saving fanfare by the Abbott Government.

Not so much fanfare for its revival "in the context of the 2014/15 budget year".

This stinks.  This material released under FOI confirms that program was cancelled, funds returned and that was that.

Or so we thought.   

Greens, Labor and Liberal FOI political parties travel

With Rudd's move to includes this spending in the foreign aid budget, politicians and their mates came in for much more scrutiny on their travel.   Apparently there's not so much scrutiny in Matthias Corman's area.

This is one of the great rorts of all time.   It's effectively a donation of taxpayer money direct to the parties - as the acquittals above show, they spend it at will.   And it comes after we were promised the program had been cancelled.

One rule for them, quite another for us.

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