By Cam Lucadou-Wells
Assistant Federal Minister Jason Wood said he knew he’d “cop flak” after hand-picking churches and temples for funds to protect themselves from intruders.
Mr Wood defended his redirecting of $3 million of Safer Communities funds to protect crime-hit places of worship in Dandenong South, Cranbourne South, Keysborough and other parts of the country.
The three temples in the South East each received $300,000-plus for security measures such as alarms, CCTV, fences, lighting, bollards and external blast walls and windows.
In doing so, Mr Wood over-ruled a Home Affairs Department’s assessment which deemed their applications as either ineligible or too low-scoring on merit.
Dandenong
Victoria
Australia
Cranbourne-south
Malabar
New-south-wales
Keysborough
La-trobe
Tasmania
Barry-jandu
Fredy-eluvathingal
Jason-wood
Government diverted cash from $31m safer communities grants to ineligible projects
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The federal government redirected cash from a $31 million safety program into a selected group of churches and cultural events after a key minister rejected department advice that ruled the projects ineligible.
Assistant Minister Jason Wood handpicked the projects to receive taxpayer funds for security services and equipment in a decision that cut funding to recipients that scored more highly in the Home Affairs department’s analysis of their merit.
Assistant Minister for Customs, Community Safety and Multicultural Affairs Jason Wood.
Rockbank
Victoria
Australia
Cranbourne-south
India
Sydney
New-south-wales
Keysborough
Craigieburn
Gulargambone
Dandenong
Melbourne