The Auditor-General has called on the Department of Premier and Cabinet (DPC) to recover grant money paid to the Migrant Workers Centre (MWC) which was improperly used by the Victorian Trades Hall Council (VTHC) for political campaigning activities.
In his report, Grants to the Migrant Workers Centre, Auditor-General, Andrew Greaves found the grant money was used in the November 2018 State and 2019 Federal elections.
“VTHC has admitted to misusing some of the DPC grant moneys it received for political campaigning activities at State and Federal elections,” Mr Greaves said.
“It is apparent that both DPC’s and MWC Inc’s compliance monitoring failed to detect this,” he said.
“VTHC asserted to us that it previously believed these activities were permitted under its subcontract with MWC Inc, but it now accepts that they were not.”
Mr Greaves said VTHC planned to repay the funds it misused.
“VTHC has also asserted that its Secretary directed centre staff to undertake these activities, and that it was not subject to any external direction or request to do so,” the Auditor-General said.
“Nothing has come to our attention that contradicts VTHC’s assertions,” he said.
Mr Greaves recommended the grant funding misused by the VTHC be recovered and DPC require all future grant recipients to certify they had used funds for their intended purpose.
The Auditor-General’s 19-page Report can be accessed at this PS News link.
