Thread by @KKeneally

Dr Reichelt just told #estimates that he first heard about the Turnbull Govt’s decision to grant funding to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation in his role as head of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority - before the Govt approached the Foundation to discuss the funding.

Dr Reichelt subsequently absented himself from a Great Barrier Reef Foundation Board meeting that was called to discuss the Government’s approach to the Foundation to offer the $444m grant.

Dr Reichelt told #estimates that he doesn’t see a conflict of interest between his role as CEO of GBRMPA and as a Board member of the Great Barrier Reef Foundation.

Also noting - that Minister Brimingham and the Department of Environment still cannot tell #estimates how the Turnbull Government came to select the Great Barrier Reef Foundation for a $444m grant this financial year. Won’t tell us what process was used, what diligence was done.

What we have learned so far from this #estimates is that the Turnbull Govt decided to grant the largest ever funding for the Great Barrier Reef ‘in Australian history’ - nearly half a billion dollars - to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation with no open or transparent process.

We have also learned in #estimates that the Turnbull govt decided to grant the funding to the Foundation and approached the Foundation - the Foundation did not approach the government, according to Dr Russell Reichelt, who is on the Board, and is also the CEO of the GBRMPA.

We also know that the Great Barrier Reef Foundation is made up largely of big business, big polluters, and 3 of the 4 big banks. Also Grant King from the Business Council of Australia. The Foundation has 6 FTE employees.

The $444m the Turnbull Government granted this year to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation - with no transparent or competitive process - is approximately 55x its usual annual funding. The CEO of the Foundation said getting the funding was ‘like winning lotto’.

I’m sure it was.