Federal infrastructure spending is riddled with pork

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The Grattan Institute has released a new report, entitled “Roundabouts, overpasses, and carparks: Hauling the federal government back to its proper role in transport projects”, which claims the Coalition made 71 transport promises worth $100 million or more at the last federal election, but that only one was based on a business case from Infrastructure Australia.

Labor made 61 transport funding announcements at the last election, but only two were based on Infrastructure Australia business cases.

Grattan also found that the federal government’s urban congestion fund is spending considerably more money in Coalition and marginal seats than in safe Labor seats.

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About the author
Leith van Onselen is Chief Economist at the MB Fund and MB Super. He is also a co-founder of MacroBusiness. Leith has previously worked at the Australian Treasury, Victorian Treasury and Goldman Sachs.