In his letter to the Auditor General, Lawrence Gibbons said: “The establishment of a $48 million fund to assist local publishers was promising, but the allocation of funds into coalition-held seats in another blatant display of pork barreling was greatly troubling. Local media outlets are a vital cornerstone to a functioning democracy. They deserve better than to be treated with outright contempt and disregard.”

Former Senator Mitch Fifield is now Australia’s Ambassador to the UN. He did not respond to a request for comment.

via Press Rorts: media grants target Coalition seats – Michael West