Questions have been raised about how and crucially when Scott Morrison’s government approved a half a billion dollar redevelopment of the Australian war memorial. The auditor general's report into the controversial project finds the institution's management of the upgrade has been 'largely effective'. But the federal watchdog also found the work was approved before a final business case was delivered.
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00:00 2018 and the foundation stone of a controversy is laid.
00:06 These plans are imaginative and they are creative and appropriate for the memorial's purpose
00:11 and place in Australia as housing the soul of our nation.
00:16 Now the Audit Office is providing a window into the government's half billion dollar
00:20 decision.
00:21 The Morrison government approved the redevelopment in October 2018 and announced it in November
00:27 of 2018, six months before a federal election.
00:31 All without the final detailed business case for the project.
00:34 In an ideal world the government should have looked at that more slowly and carefully but
00:38 it was rushing to get this project up and running.
00:41 Instead the decision to fund the project was based on an incomplete preliminary report.
00:46 All of the information that they needed in order to take that decision was provided to
00:50 government at the time they took that decision.
00:52 By January 2021 the project was in need of an extra $50 million.
00:57 The report found then Veterans Affairs Minister Andrew Gee was verbally briefed on the additional
01:03 costs.
01:04 It wasn't only verbally, you can't get money through government only on verbally, there
01:07 has to be a formal financial and ministerial process and that was followed.
01:12 By March 2021 the new funding had prime ministerial approval, seven days before the memorial's
01:18 council had officially asked for it.
01:21 The audit office also found the war memorial misrepresented the value of some contracts
01:26 to avoid the need for ministerial approval.
01:29 It's not illegal but it is sharp practice.
01:32 Despite the criticisms, the Auditor General found the memorial's management, procurement
01:36 and governance of the project has been largely effective.
01:39 The current Minister for Veterans Affairs, Matt Keough, has requested an urgent briefing
01:43 by the audit office and says he plans to meet with the memorial's management as a priority.
01:48 [BLANK_AUDIO]