‘Crime only happens in Labor seats’: Coalition claims Labor rorting crime grants

September 15, 2026 — 2:00am

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Labor leveraged an invite-only $20 million fund to install CCTV networks across critical electorates, prioritising its own seats and high-value Coalition targets before the last election.

The Coalition seized on the “Strengthening Community Safety” program as another example of Labor using grant programs to shower seats in cash after Anthony Albanese heavily criticised the previous Coalition government for manipulating grants programs.

As Albanese cancelled his honorary membership of a golf course in his electorate that received a $6 million grant, details of the safety program grants have been unearthed by the opposition.

The Greens secured a Senate inquiry into the $560 million fund on Monday. It will report back by mid-November.

The safety program funded 20 upgrades, 17 of which benefited seats Labor held before the election in May 2025. Of the programs in non-Labor seats, a $1.5 million upgrade was used for projects in Peter Dutton’s old seat of Dickson in outer Brisbane, won by Labor, and nearby Petrie, which Labor also picked up.

Another $600,000 grant........

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