Constitutional expert labels Albanese government’s golf club grant ‘grey corruption’

A leading constitutional expert has criticized the Albanese government for awarding a $6 million grant to a golf club in the prime minister’s electorate, calling it an instance of "grey corruption". Anne Twomey, a professor emerita at the University of Sydney, made these remarks during a Senate inquiry into a $560 million invitation-only grants scheme that has been used to fund projects promised by Labor in the 2025 election.

The Marrickville Golf Club, located in Anthony Albanese’s electorate of Grayndler, was promised the funding for various upgrades during the campaign. The grant was awarded under a "closed non-competitive" process last July. Twomey described the scheme as a farce, stating that it allows governments to favor private or political interests over the national interest.

After facing criticism for the grant, Albanese defended the funding, stating it was intended to address issues caused by raw sewage flowing into the adjacent Cooks River. However, Twomey pointed out that this concern was not mentioned in the original announcement, which only referred to renovations and stormwater harvesting for irrigation.