Claims extracted
11
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
9%
1 of 11 hedged
("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
Leans left
of the writing, not the subject · beta estimate
Publisher signals
61/100
The Sydney Morning Herald's corrections and
hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
2
Crime & Law
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Two senior bureaucrats tried to cover up a $285 million bungle that saw COVID-19 payments made to ineligible applicants by withholding information from their boss and government ministers.
asserted
payments → try → boss
A report by the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) released on Thursday revealed that “false and misleading information” was provided to then ministers Martin Pakula and Ben Carroll in November 2021 in a bid to hide the fact that almost one quarter of the state’s program grants had gone to ineligible businesses.
asserted
quarter → release → businesses
The corruption watchdog’s investigation focused on the state government’s $4.5 billion Business Costs Assistance Program, which supported businesses affected by pandemic lockdowns in 2020 and 2021.
asserted
which → focus → 2020
The watchdog found that in November 2021, the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions identified that more than 9000 ineligible businesses were able to claim grants by backdating their GST registrations, totalling $285 million.
uncertain
businesses → find → million
However, rather than report the issue, a departmental deputy secretary directed that information about the loss be removed from a draft report being prepared for Pakula, who was at the time the minister for industry support and recovery, as well as the Victorian Auditor-General’s Office.
asserted
who → report → support
IBAC found an associate secretary also withheld information about the size of the suspected loss from their boss from the head of the department, Simon Phemister.
asserted
secretary → find → department
“Misleading information was subsequently created and disseminated over an extended period of time,” IBAC said, which prevented the secretary and ministers from responding to the issue.
asserted
which → create → issue
“While officers within the department spoke up, their leaders failed to act, meaning the government was left uninformed and unable to move quickly to address this suspected significant loss of public funds,” IBAC Commissioner Victoria Elliott said in a statement.
asserted
Elliott → speak → statement
Elliott applauded whistleblowers from within the Victorian public service who alerted IBAC to the cover-up and subsequently triggered its investigation.
asserted
who → applaud → investigation
“Your bravery is critical in ensuring this conduct is not only exposed but that Victoria’s public sector can take these findings and apply the learnings to their own organisations,” he said.
asserted
he → ensure → organisations
The report does not name the deputy secretary or associate secretary involved.
asserted
report → name → secretary
The Aporia
