September 9, 2026 — 9:00amCrossbench MPs and senators are pushing for the Albanese government to overhaul of the Commonwealth grants system as scrutiny intensifies over its distribution of $560 million to key Labor seats through an invitation-only community infrastructure program.Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was also forced to reject claims he’d failed to declare a conflict of interest in the program, after revelations he was an honorary member of a golf club in his Sydney electorate that received $6 million in funding.Analysis from the Centre for Public Integrity released on Tuesday found funding under the Local and Major Community Infrastructure Program was heavily concentrated in Labor-held and marginal electorates, and the government was yet to explain the criteria used to determine which communities were invited to apply.One of the most politically sensitive grants went to Marrickville Golf Course in Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s electorate. It received $6 million for upgrades under the program.Albanese defended the funding and said he made “no apologies” for his electorate receiving government investment in a fiery interview on the ABC, while rejecting suggestions his honorary membership of the golf club created a conflict of interest.The Centre for Public Integrity found $409.1 million, or 73.2 per cent of the program’s funding, went to safe Labor seats and marginal electorates. Coalition-held seats received $126.3 million, or 22.6 per cent.The cohort of crossbenchers argued the invitation-only infrastructure program was inconsistent with Commonwealth rules around competition and merit-based selection.In a joint statement on Wednesday, the MPs said the controversy should be a turning point for the federal grants system.They called for mandatory and enforceable standards for grants administration, greater transparency around how funding decisions are assessed against selection criteria, and a parliamentary committee chaired by a non-government member, with crossbench participation, to oversee grants administration and compliance.Independent member for Indi Helen Haines described the program as a more deliberate form of pork-barrelling than the Coalition-era sports grants scandal.“Sports rorts was pork-barrelling by deception; this is pork-barrelling by design,” Haines said.Member for Indi Dr Helen Haines.Alex EllinghausenShe said her private member’s legislation would not prevent governments from funding local infrastructure, but would require decisions to be made fairly and transparently.Independent ACT senator David Pocock said elections should be fought over policy rather than the distribution of government money in marginal electorates.“Elections should be won and lost on a contest of ideas, not who can buy the most votes in marginal seats,” Pocock said.Kooyong MP Monique Ryan, who opposed the Morrison government’s controversial grants programs, said it was disappointing to see Labor adopt what she described as a “cynical, well-worn path”.Marrickville Golf Course has received $6 million for upgrades from the federal government in a controversial “invite-only” grants program.Janie BarrettSeveral other lower house crossbenchers, as well as senators Jacqui Lambie and Lydia Thorpe, signed the statement.Infrastructure Minister Catherine King said the program was in line with longstanding practice and with the updated rules and principles for grants. She said ministers did not make decisions on applications in their own electorate, with those decided by another cabinet minister.The prime minister told the ABC on Wednesday that he had no prior knowledge of the honorary membership, saying it had apparently been granted about 15 years ago. He said he did not play golf and had not visited the clubhouse for many years.Pressed in parliament by the Coalition, Albanese said he was given the social membership in 2012. He said it cost $5 for two years.“Someone made a decision. I don’t have a card. I don’t go to the club,” he said. “If you’re a good local member, a whole lot of people will give you honorary memberships of things.”In a fiery breakfast TV interview, Albanese rejected the ABC’s reporting of the issue, saying they had ignored key facts and “should do better”.The ABC rejected his assertion and said it had provided its viewers with all the facts.Nationals deputy leader Bridget McKenzie, who resigned from the Coalition frontbench in 2020 amid the sports rorts controversy, accused Albanese of potentially breaching the ministerial code of conduct over the golf club membership.“It goes directly to conflicts of interest,” McKenzie told the ABC.Assistant Science Minister Andrew Charlton rejected the suggestion Albanese had failed to declare a relevant conflict, saying local community, sporting and charitable organisations were generally presumed not to create a conflict under the declaration guidelines.Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis. 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