A mysterious foundation created just over a year ago by a businessman with connections to the governor general has received its federal funding.
Key Points:
- The Australian Future Leaders Foundation was promised $18 million in the March federal budget
- It has now been confirmed that the promise has been scrapped
- The proposed funding was identified in the Albanian government’s “waste audit” ahead of next month’s budget
Government sources have told the ABC the Australian Future Leaders Foundation will no longer receive the millions of dollars promised by the former coalition government.
The foundation, which had never run a leadership program and had no website or staff, received $18 million in the Morrison government’s March budget.
Budget documents said the money would be provided for five years, after which the foundation would receive $4 million annually.
Governor-General David Hurley supported the foundation and spoke to former Prime Minister Scott Morrison several times in 2020 and 2021 before awarding the funding.
Concerns raised
Questions had been raised about why a foundation with no history of running leadership programs received the cash without a competitive grant process.
The foundation planned to establish leadership programs for emerging mid-career leaders.
One person closely involved expressed concern that it would benefit “privileged white kids” and not help expand or promote a diversity of leaders within the government and non-government sectors.
Governor General David Hurley has participated in the program. (ABC News: Tamara Penniket)
Governor General David Hurley has always stood by the foundation.
However, the promised funding has been identified in the “waste audit” the federal government is currently carrying out as part of the October budget process.
The decision has been made that the foundation will no longer receive any federal funding.
A foundation with connections
The foundation was registered as a charity in April 2021 and the official launch was held at the Governor General’s House in Sydney in May.
Promotional brochures seen by the ABC claimed viceroyalty and government endorsement of the program, which was titled “The Governor-General’s Australian Future Leaders Program”.
In the correspondence seen by the ABC, the executive officer and director of the foundation, Chris Hartley, boasted that the governor-general had made a PowerPoint presentation to Mr. Morrison, and in another email, Mr. Hartley stated that the Prime Minister’s Office would “own” the project.
The Governor General also agreed to be the foundation’s inaugural patron.
Hartley has contacted numerous senior leaders from various organizations and groups including Twitter, Tabcorp, Jaguar Land Rover, the Business Council, the Smith family, Accenture, McKinsey & Co and Tenfold to bring them on board.
The moves were seen by some as an attempt to leverage relationships, to gain access to increasingly senior political and business figures.
And while he stated that these companies had provided support in principle, including financial and in-kind commitments, this was not always the case.
Earlier this year, Chris Hartley told the ABC that the show would begin in late 2022, but so far there has been no update on the foundation.
Chris Harley and the Governor General have been contacted for comment.