A report by the Centre for Public Integrity has found that more than 73 per cent of funding from Australia's A$560 million Major and Local Community Infrastructure Program was directed to Labor-held electorates, prompting accusations of pork-barrelling against the Albanese government. The findings echo criticism Labor itself levelled at the former Coalition government over its "sports rorts" scheme, raising questions about whether merit or political advantage determined which communities received the grants under the invitation-only programme.

Of the total funding, A$493 million went to seats where Labor was electorally competitive, compared with just A$66 million to seats where it was not, while Coalition-held seats received 23 per cent and other seats four per cent. Centre chair Anthony Whealy said a fair distribution would have seen Labor receive A$66 million less and non-Labor seats A$116 million more. Assistant Treasurer Daniel Mulino denied pork-barrelling, calling it "long-standing practice" for delivering election commitments, while independents Helen Haines and Kate Chaney called for reform, with Chaney directly comparing it to the Coalition's earlier sports rorts scandal.