Sports rorts affair
Encyclopedia
The "sports rorts" affair was the name by which Australia
n media and political commentators came to refer to events during the second Keating
ministry in late 1993 and early 1994, where the then Sports Minister, Ros Kelly
, was unable to appropriately explain the distribution of federal sporting grants to marginal
electorates held by the governing Australian Labor Party
. It led to a textbook demonstration of individual ministerial responsibility where, on 28 February 1994, Kelly resigned from her position under consistent pressure from the Australian Democrats
and the Liberal
opposition about the matter. Ultimately, the controversy also led to her resignation from Parliament and, at the resulting by-election
on 25 March 1995, the government lost the normally safe Labor seat of Canberra
.
In December 1993, the Auditor-General complained about the manner in which the Department had administered A$
30 million of grants under the Community Cultural, Recreational and Sporting Facilities Program, which had been initiated by Graham Richardson
in 1988. The Auditor-General reported that he could not find any documentation explaining the rationale for grants made by Kelly's department, and therefore could not assess her decision-making procedures. The opposition, led by John Hewson
and Peter Costello
, claimed in Parliament that the money had been directed into marginal Labor-held electorates before the 1993 federal election as a pork barrel
ling exercise. Initially, she avoided answering questions on the matter, but she relented following threats by the Australian Democrats
to vote for a Liberal proposition establishing a Senate inquiry if she did not give evidence to a House of Representatives committee. During the enquiry, she said that she had assessed 2,800 submissions for funding on the sole basis of verbal advice from her staff, and that decisions on short-listed applications had been made on a "great big whiteboard" in her office, having been erased without permanent record once the decisions were made. The 12-person committee, despite having a Labor majority, ultimately found on 7 February 1994 that her actions were "not illegal" but her administration was "deficient".
On 21 February 1994, following changes to Australian House of Representatives
Question Time which created a roster for ministers to appear in the House, the Liberals used the opportunity to demand her resignation. On 28 February, she did so, although Keating continued to support her, speaking out on 3 March 1994 accusing the Senate of holding the Government to ransom.
Eleven months later, Kelly resigned from parliament, triggering a 1995 by-election
for the safe Labor
seat of Canberra
. A 16.1% swing against the ALP resulted in the election of Liberal Party
member Brendan Smyth
on 25 March 1995. However, the seat was regained by Labor's Bob McMullan
a year later in the 1996 election, while Smyth failed to win the new seat of Namadgi
.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n media and political commentators came to refer to events during the second Keating
Paul Keating
Paul John Keating was the 24th Prime Minister of Australia, serving from 1991 to 1996. Keating was elected as the federal Labor member for Blaxland in 1969 and came to prominence as the reformist treasurer of the Hawke Labor government, which came to power at the 1983 election...
ministry in late 1993 and early 1994, where the then Sports Minister, Ros Kelly
Ros Kelly
Ros Kelly AO was a member of the Australian House of Representatives for the Division of Canberra from 18 October 1980 to 30 January 1995. She was a minister in the governments of Bob Hawke and Paul Keating....
, was unable to appropriately explain the distribution of federal sporting grants to marginal
Marginal seat
A marginal seat, or swing seat, is a constituency held with a particularly small majority in a legislative election, generally conducted under a single-winner voting system. In Canada they may be known as target ridings. The opposite is a safe seat....
electorates held by the governing Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
. It led to a textbook demonstration of individual ministerial responsibility where, on 28 February 1994, Kelly resigned from her position under consistent pressure from the Australian Democrats
Australian Democrats
The Australian Democrats is an Australian political party espousing a socially liberal ideology. It was formed in 1977, by a merger of the Australia Party and the New LM, after principals of those minor parties secured the commitment of former Liberal minister Don Chipp, as a high profile leader...
and the Liberal
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
opposition about the matter. Ultimately, the controversy also led to her resignation from Parliament and, at the resulting by-election
Canberra by-election, 1995
The 1995 Canberra by-election was held in the Australian electorate of Canberra in Australian Capital Territory on 25 March 1995. The by-election was triggered by the resignation of the sitting member, the Australian Labor Party's Ros Kelly on 30 January 1995...
on 25 March 1995, the government lost the normally safe Labor seat of Canberra
Division of Canberra
The Division of Canberra is an Australian Electoral Division in the Australian Capital Territory. The division was created in 1974 from the southern half of the old Division of Australian Capital Territory...
.
In December 1993, the Auditor-General complained about the manner in which the Department had administered A$
Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
30 million of grants under the Community Cultural, Recreational and Sporting Facilities Program, which had been initiated by Graham Richardson
Graham Richardson
Graham Frederick Richardson , a former Australian politician, was a Senator for New South Wales from 1983–94 for the Australian Labor Party, a senior minister in Hawke and Keating governments, and is now a political lobbyist, public speaker, and media commentator. During his time in politics,...
in 1988. The Auditor-General reported that he could not find any documentation explaining the rationale for grants made by Kelly's department, and therefore could not assess her decision-making procedures. The opposition, led by John Hewson
John Hewson
John Robert Hewson AM is an Australian economist, company director and a former politician. He was federal leader of the Liberal Party of Australia from 1990 to 1994 and led the party to defeat at the 1993 federal election.-Early life:...
and Peter Costello
Peter Costello
Peter Howard Costello AC is an Australian politician and lawyer who served as the Treasurer in the Australian government from 1996 to 2007. He is the longest-serving Treasurer in Australian history. Costello was a Member of the Australian House of Representatives from 1990 to 2009, representing...
, claimed in Parliament that the money had been directed into marginal Labor-held electorates before the 1993 federal election as a pork barrel
Pork barrel
Pork barrel is a derogatory term referring to appropriation of government spending for localized projects secured solely or primarily to bring money to a representative's district...
ling exercise. Initially, she avoided answering questions on the matter, but she relented following threats by the Australian Democrats
Australian Democrats
The Australian Democrats is an Australian political party espousing a socially liberal ideology. It was formed in 1977, by a merger of the Australia Party and the New LM, after principals of those minor parties secured the commitment of former Liberal minister Don Chipp, as a high profile leader...
to vote for a Liberal proposition establishing a Senate inquiry if she did not give evidence to a House of Representatives committee. During the enquiry, she said that she had assessed 2,800 submissions for funding on the sole basis of verbal advice from her staff, and that decisions on short-listed applications had been made on a "great big whiteboard" in her office, having been erased without permanent record once the decisions were made. The 12-person committee, despite having a Labor majority, ultimately found on 7 February 1994 that her actions were "not illegal" but her administration was "deficient".
On 21 February 1994, following changes to Australian House of Representatives
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
Question Time which created a roster for ministers to appear in the House, the Liberals used the opportunity to demand her resignation. On 28 February, she did so, although Keating continued to support her, speaking out on 3 March 1994 accusing the Senate of holding the Government to ransom.
Eleven months later, Kelly resigned from parliament, triggering a 1995 by-election
Canberra by-election, 1995
The 1995 Canberra by-election was held in the Australian electorate of Canberra in Australian Capital Territory on 25 March 1995. The by-election was triggered by the resignation of the sitting member, the Australian Labor Party's Ros Kelly on 30 January 1995...
for the safe Labor
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
seat of Canberra
Division of Canberra
The Division of Canberra is an Australian Electoral Division in the Australian Capital Territory. The division was created in 1974 from the southern half of the old Division of Australian Capital Territory...
. A 16.1% swing against the ALP resulted in the election of Liberal Party
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
member Brendan Smyth
Brendan Smyth (politician)
Brendan Michael Smyth is a Liberal Party of Australia politician. From 2002 to 2006 he was the Leader of the Opposition in the Australian Capital Territory. He retains his shadow previous portfolios of Health, Ageing, Business and Tourism at present. He represents the electorate of...
on 25 March 1995. However, the seat was regained by Labor's Bob McMullan
Bob McMullan
Robert Francis McMullan is an Australian former politician who represented the Australian Labor Party in both the Senate and the House of Representatives....
a year later in the 1996 election, while Smyth failed to win the new seat of Namadgi
Division of Namadgi
The Division of Namadgi was an Australian Electoral Division in the Australian Capital Territory. It was located in the southern suburbs of Canberra, and included the suburbs of Conder, Kambah, Mawson and Tuggeranong....
.