[[[At the end of last year, Berejiklian was disconcertingly frank about the pork barrelling, which is endemic to politics and which people hate, except when they are the beneficiaries. Questioned about the council grants program which favoured Coalition seats, she admitted that people don’t much like it, but “governments in all positions make commitments to the community in order to curry favour. I think that’s part of the political process whether we like it or not.”How’s that for plain English for you?
It is, as Berejiklian said, not illegal for politicians to lobby for funds for particular communities and to receive them. It’s corruption to benefit financially but not in popularity. Many politicians even stand for election on the promise that they are especially well placed to lobby for pork. It’s then referred to as “fighting for my community”. Tasmanian Senator Jacqui Lambie, another politician famed for her plain speaking, was upfront about voting for Coalition tax cuts in exchange for an agreement to waive Tasmania’s social housing debt. And, of course, that will help her re-election chances, which may or may not bother you. It’s pork, unless you like the flavour.]]]
