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Request for audit
Gallipoli Turkish Cultural Foundation grant
Response provided
Responded: Monday 28 April 2025
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The Auditor-General responded on 28 April 2025 to correspondence from Senator the Hon Anne Ruston dated 31 March 2025, requesting that the Auditor-General conduct an investigation to examine a grant awarded to the Gallipoli Turkish Cultural Foundation.
Auditor-General's response
28 April 2025
Senator the Hon Anne Ruston
Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care
Shadow Minister for Sport
Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
Parliament House
CANBERRA ACT 2600
By email: Senator.Ruston@aph.gov.au
Dear Senator Ruston
Request for an audit into the grant awarded to the Gallipoli Turkish Cultural Foundation
I am writing in response to your letter dated 31 March 2025 requesting the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) undertake an audit into the grant awarded to the Gallipoli Turkish Cultural Foundation and its affiliate organisation Gallipoli Health Services.
I have considered your request in relation to the information provided in your letter. At this time, the ANAO is developing its 2025–26 Annual Audit Work Program (AAWP) which currently includes a potential topic on ‘Regulatory functions in aged care quality and safety’. As part of that audit, if commenced, I will consider the broader matter of aged care provider viability support.
The AAWP reflects the ANAO’s audit strategy and informs the Parliament, government entities and the public of the planned audit coverage for the Australian Government sector. The 2025–26 AAWP is expected to be published on the ANAO website in early July 2025.
Yours sincerely
Dr Caralee McLiesh PSM
Auditor-General
Correspondence from Senator the Hon Anne Ruston
Transcript of letter from Senator the Hon Anne Ruston
31st March 2025
Dr Caralee McLiesh PSM
Auditor-General
Australian National Audit Office
GPO Box 707
Canberra ACT 2601
By email: ag1@anao.gov.au
Dear Auditor-General,
I am writing to request that the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) undertake an audit to investigate a grant awarded to the Gallipoli Turkish Cultural Foundation.
Recent media reports1 have highlighted that Commonwealth funding was provided to an organisation shortly after they displayed political corflutes promoting government Minister, the Hon Jason Clare MP. These reports suggest “An aged-care home established by a Western Sydney mosque secured a special multimillion-dollar federal funding deal shortly before the mosque publicly endorsed Labor cabinet minister Jason Clare.”
The recent media reporting raises serious questions as to whether this grant was undertaken in accordance with the applicable Commonwealth legislative and policy requirements.
In this regard, we note that the Gallipoli Turkish Cultural Foundation and affiliated health services, Gallipoli Health Services, have received more than $7 million from the current Federal Government.
Of this funding, $3.35 million was provided from the Federal Government to the organisation on the 4th of February 2025. According to the media reporting references above, following the receipt of this funding it appears political paraphernalia was displayed on the premises of the local member of parliament situated on the mosque’s fence on March 16, 2025.
As you may be aware, the Aged Care sector has been under considerable financial distress and I raise no issue with financial assistance being provided to support older Australians age with dignity and care. Furthermore, I raise no issue with financial assistance being provided to any Aged Care home that requires immediate support.
My concern is with the process and potential political considerations. It is well understood that because of the Federal Government's stringent workforce requirements in the middle of a staffing crisis that organisations are relying on agency workforce which is contributing to their financial stress.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Senator Anne Ruston