CANBERRA, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- A controversial funding grant handed to Australia's Great Barrier Reef Foundation (GBRF) will be rescinded if the opposition Australian Labor Party (ALP) wins victory in the next election.
The Australian government in April handed the GBRF a 443.8 million Australian dollar (318.5 million U.S. dollars) grant, the largest donation by a private foundation from the Australian government in history, without first subjecting the organization to a competitive tender process.
Tony Burke, the ALP's environment spokesperson, on Wednesday wrote to John Schubert, chairman of the foundation, warning him that he had found a process by which the government can compel the GBRF to return the money.
Under clause 25.1.1 of the grant agreement between the GBRF and the government, the department of the environment and energy can terminate the agreement if there is "a material change in Australian government policy."
Burke said that an ALP government would change environment policy to fulfil the "material grounds" set out in the agreement.
"We can't fix what's happened right now, but if Labor wins the election there'll be an immediate policy change and the obligation will be for the foundation, the money that hasn't been spent, they have to return every single dollar," he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).
"It would be an extraordinary abuse if they were to start to commit future years of funding beyond the election date so that they can try to contract money away and get to spend it themselves, regardless of what the Australian people decide at the next poll.
Schubert and fellow board members of the organization are due to give evidence to a Senate inquiry on the circumstances surrounding the grant on Sept. 18.
Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who made the decision, is also expected to front the inquiry.
