Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been accused of hypocrisy after analysis by the independent Centre for Public Integrity found that Labor-held electorates received a disproportionate share of funding from a $560 million community infrastructure programme. The findings are notable because Albanese previously criticised the Coalition for similar practices, branding its allocation of public money to favourable electorates as industrial-scale "pork-barrelling" and accusing Scott Morrison's government of treating taxpayer funds as party cash during the "sports rorts" affair. Commentator Peter van Onselen argues Labor's current defence, that the approach is "standard practice", effectively concedes wrongdoing rather than justifying it.

According to the analysis, $409 million, or roughly 73 per cent, of the Major and Local Community Infrastructure programme's funding went to Labor-held seats, despite Labor holding only 52 per cent of electorates after the 2025 election; a proportional split would have given Labor seats about $291 million, some $118 million less. Labor marginal seats reportedly received $66.5 million above their proportional share, while 45 electorates received nothing, and researchers found no link between allocations and household income or community need. The programme operated on an invitation-only basis, with critics highlighting a $6 million grant to a golf club in Albanese's own electorate while a struggling club in an independent MP's seat was not permitted to apply; the funding has not yet been formally awarded, leaving scope for the allocations to be revised.