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Request for audit
Gallipoli Turkish Cultural Foundation grant
Under consideration
Received: Monday 31 March 2025
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The Auditor-General has received correspondence from Senator the Hon Anne Ruston dated 31 March 2025, requesting that the Auditor-General conduct an investigation to examine a grant awarded to the Gallipoli Turkish Cultural Foundation. This request is under consideration and the response will be published here.
Correspondence from Senator the Hon Anne Ruston
Transcript of letter from Senator the Hon Anne Ruston
31st March 2025
Dr Caralee McLiesh PSM
Auditor-General
Australian National Audit Office
GPO Box 707
Canberra ACT 2601
By email: ag1@anao.gov.au
Dear Auditor-General,
I am writing to request that the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) undertake an audit to investigate a grant awarded to the Gallipoli Turkish Cultural Foundation.
Recent media reports1 have highlighted that Commonwealth funding was provided to an organisation shortly after they displayed political corflutes promoting government Minister, the Hon Jason Clare MP. These reports suggest “An aged-care home established by a Western Sydney mosque secured a special multimillion-dollar federal funding deal shortly before the mosque publicly endorsed Labor cabinet minister Jason Clare.”
The recent media reporting raises serious questions as to whether this grant was undertaken in accordance with the applicable Commonwealth legislative and policy requirements.
In this regard, we note that the Gallipoli Turkish Cultural Foundation and affiliated health services, Gallipoli Health Services, have received more than $7 million from the current Federal Government.
Of this funding, $3.35 million was provided from the Federal Government to the organisation on the 4th of February 2025. According to the media reporting references above, following the receipt of this funding it appears political paraphernalia was displayed on the premises of the local member of parliament situated on the mosque’s fence on March 16, 2025.
As you may be aware, the Aged Care sector has been under considerable financial distress and I raise no issue with financial assistance being provided to support older Australians age with dignity and care. Furthermore, I raise no issue with financial assistance being provided to any Aged Care home that requires immediate support.
My concern is with the process and potential political considerations. It is well understood that because of the Federal Government's stringent workforce requirements in the middle of a staffing crisis that organisations are relying on agency workforce which is contributing to their financial stress.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Senator Anne Ruston