Scott Morrison’s department & his political office have REJECTED freedom of information requests for access to taxpayer-funded research undertaken by Jim Reed, a long-term researcher for Liberal party pollster Crosby Textor.

While the content of the substantial research

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project is unknown because it has not been released publicly – or to any committee scrutinising the government’s management of the pandemic – Labor has raised the alarm about “thinly disguised political research”
being FUNDED BY TAXPAYERS rather than by the Liberal party,

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as would be the convention.

The shadow finance minister, Katy Gallagher, said on Monday: “It shouldn’t be a surprise that a FOI seeking transparency & accountability for the spending of public money on an advertising campaign has been rejected by the Morrison government.”

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“Every dollar spent at the moment is borrowed money – we do not have a spare million to chuck at an old mate so they can come up with a MARKETING CAMPAIGN designed to make Scott Morrison LOOK GOOD,” Gallagher said. “After a year like 2020, Australians DESERVE BETTER.”

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Part of the reasoning in rejecting the FOI request was disclosure could “reasonably be expected to discourage some individuals or organisations in providing assistance or support to the NCC advisory board & the government more generally.”

The NCC advisory board has now

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morphed into a POLICY ADVISORY BODY* providing “input” into high-level government decisions, including on the operation of the jobseeker & jobkeeper payments.

Good to know that the NCC's input was taken on board regarding jobseeker & jobkeeper but not ACOSS, the OECD or

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many well renowned economists, who ALL advocated for NO Cuts to both, & for Jobseeker to have a PERMANENT substantial RAISE

Apparently the PM also puts Non-elected Millionaires & Billionaires above everyday Australians RIGHTS to know what THEIR TAXES are being spent on.

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Sounds SPOT ON from the Morrison Government.

*Last time the LNP Gov had a Billionaire advising Gov Policy we got the Racist & Discriminatory Indue Card.

Could it be that the top wealthy people in our nation dont have the skill set for public policy? https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/dec/15/prime-ministers-department-says-granting-foi-request-on-taxpayer-funded-research-would-prejudice-government