Politics Analysis

Funding for religious organisations favours those in Labor-held seats

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Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus on 7.30 (image via YouTube)

The extent to which Labor's new Securing Faith-Based Places program is properly geared to addressing religious intolerance remains to be seen, reports Belinda Jones.

THERE HAVE BEEN ongoing calls from faith communities for governments of all persuasions to address the rise of religious intolerance in Australia for many years. Faith-based groups have recorded a rise in incidents such as graffiti, use of hate symbols, verbal abuse, assault, harassment, and intimidation.

There has been a notable increase since the 7 October attacks in Israel among Jewish and Muslim communities.

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data on religious diversity from the 2021 census show changes over time in our religious beliefs as a nation.

2021 census data reports Australians as 43.9% Christian, 38.9% "no religion", 3.2% Muslim, 2.7% Hindu, 2.4% Buddhist, 0.8% Sikh and 0.4% Judaism.

On 17 May 2023, Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus announced the $40 millionSecuring Faith-Based Places grant program to “improve security and safety”. Applications were open from 31 July 2023 to 11 September 2023.

On 16 October 2023, an additional $10 million was added to the program 'by the Prime Minister' without explanation, taking the total amount available for the 2023 Securing Faith-Based Places program to $50 million. This would suggest the Government had a larger than expected response, rather than in response to the 7 October attacks, given the program had closed in September.

A press release from the Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus read:

The Albanese Government acts with integrity. The new Securing Faith-Based Places grants program will be an open, competitive and merit-based program.

 

The former Safer Communities Fund became discredited due to the rorting of public funds by the previous government.

The day after announcing the recipients of the Securing Faith-Based Places program, the Attorney-General also announced a further $50 million in funding in the wake of the 7 October attacks.

He stated:

Today, the Albanese Government has committed to support Australian communities affected by the Hamas attacks on Israel and ongoing conflict, including $25 million to the Executive Council of Australian Jewry Inc (ECAJ) and $25 million to Australian Palestinian, Muslim and other communities affected by the conflict.

In his May 2023 press release, the Attorney-General referred to the formerSafer Communities Fund which had been subject to an audit by the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO).

The ANAO audit found the responsibility for the administration of the Safer Communities Fund had 'moved from the Attorney-General’s Department to the Department of Home Affairs (Home Affairs) in late 2017 as a result of Machinery of Government changes'.

At the time, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton was the Home Affairs Minister responsible for the Safer Communities Fund. ANAO found Dutton was more likely to fund community grants in Coalition-held seats.

Under the Albanese Government, the responsibility for the Safer Communities Fund reverted to the Attorney-General and was renamed Securing Faith-Based Places. 

Independent Australia has analysed the current Securing Faith-Based Places program.

Of the 177 grants worth between $25,000 and $500,000, 122 were awarded to Labor-held seats.

Coalition-held seats received 32 of the grants, 28 of those went to seats held by the Liberal Party and four were awarded to Nationals-held seats.

Bob Katter's electorate Kennedy received two grants, the Greens-held seats received three grants and 18 grants went to seats held by Independents.

The seat of Macnamara in Victoria, held by Labor’s Josh Burns, received the most grants, a total of 28 for that seat alone. Recent crime statistics published by the Victorian Government indicate the seat of Macnamara is one of the safest in the state.

A distant second, the seat of Perth held by Labor’s Patrick Gorman, received nine grants. 

The seat of Wentworth in New South Wales, held by Independent Allegra Spender, received seven grants. Recent crime statistics published by the New South Wales Government indicate that the seat of Wentworth is one of the safest in the state.

Some recipients of the current Securing Faith-Based Places grants program have been recipients of previous grants under the former Safer Communities Program.

The Attorney-General’s Department list of recipients of the current grant program does not include the amount of the grant, at the time of publishing this article only some grant awards have been published on GrantConnect revealing how much each recipient received. Among those already published on GrantConnect, several have received the maximum amount of $500,000 available under the program.

The Securing Faith-Based Places grant program decision-making process took place during the Voice to Parliament referendum, and despite media reports of a rise in racist rhetoric, cyber abuse and threats it appears no grants were awarded to Indigenous community organisations.

The distribution of grants appears to favour Labor-held seats, which begs the question of whether this grant program addresses the concerns of faith communities calling for more targeted action.

The decision-maker for the Securing Faith-Based Places grant program was the Attorney-General. 

The Attorney-General’s office was contacted for comment but did not reply to IA’s questions prior to publication.

You can follow Belinda Jones on Twitter @belindajones68.

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