Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has handed out $386 million in multiculturalism grants since coming to power, with 88% of the money going to Labor-held seats, according to a One Nation analysis.
The analysis of GrantsConnect data found that of religion-linked grants, Muslims received $86.7 million (30% of the total), followed by Jews on $77.4 million (27%), Christians on $71 million (25%), Hindus on $31.1 million (11%), Sikhs on $11.2 million (4%), and Buddhists on $4.3 million (2%).
Multiculturalism grants went from $5.87 million in the 2022-23 financial year to $325.77 million in 2025-26, and the share awarded to Labor-held seats went from 66.7% to 94% over the same period, according to the analysis.
Out of the top 40 electorates, all were Labor seats except for Fowler in western Sydney which is held by Independent MP Dai Le, and Wentworth in Sydney’s east, held by teal MP Allegra Spender.
Macnamara in Melbourne, held by Jewish Labor MP Josh Burns, topped the list with $55 million in grants, mainly due to $33 million provided to restore the firebombed Adass Israel Synagogue.
In the first financial year after the 2022 Federal Election, 0% of multiculturalism grants were awarded through closed, non-competitive tenders, but in 2025-26 the proportion was 87.1%, which One Nation leader Pauline Hanson described as a “rort”.
Ms Hanson called the data “truly staggering”, and pointed out that immigration minister Tony Burke’s Muslim-dominated electorate of Watson was among the biggest beneficiaries.
Explosive new analysis suggests that the Albanese Government has rorted hundreds of millions of dollars in multicultural grants through the Department of Home Affairs, with 94% of the money granted since the last election going to Labor-held seats. Shockingly, most of these… https://t.co/1EmU3WaDCe
— Pauline Hanson 🇦🇺 (@PaulineHansonOz) September 27, 2026
“In the financial year following the last election, 94% of the money went to Labor-held seats. Tony Burke’s electorate is among the biggest beneficiaries. Hundreds of millions in taxpayer funds are being splashed on Labor seats through closed processes,” she said on Sunday.
“The rebuilding of the Adass Synagogue after an [allegedly] Iranian-sponsored terrorist firebombing is an exception that clearly deserves support. But one justified grant doesn’t explain potential rorts in the rest of the program.
“An extraordinary amount of money has also been given to the controversial Australian National Imams Council, which is based in Tony Burke’s electorate. This is the same group which has reportedly worked with Tony Burke to bring alleged ISIS brides back to Australia.”
Ms Hanson said there were “serious questions to be answered”, and called on the government to “open the books”.
“Publish every assessment, ministerial brief, representation and decision. Australians should be able to see who asked for the money, who approved it, why it was awarded and what taxpayers received in return,” she said.
“Taxpayer money must be allocated on transparent criteria based on community need, not funnelled to buy votes. Anthony Albanese promised to do politics differently. What his government is doing just looks like the same old corruption.”
Earlier this month a separate analysis by anti-corruption think tank the Centre for Public Integrity found Labor-held seats received three quarters of $559.2 million handed out as part of the government’s Major and Local Community Infrastructure program.
Multicultural Affairs Minister Anne Aly, who is an Egyptian Muslim immigrant herself, told The Daily Telegraph the funding included election commitments, and funding for security and community infrastructure that strengthened social cohesion.
“The Albanese government proudly invests in communities right across Australia, including through urgent care clinics, roads, early childhood education centres and community facilities and festivals,” a spokeswoman for Ms Aly said.
“We make no apologies for investing in local communities and, if other political parties don’t want to back Australians, that’s up to them. We’re focused on building strong … communities.”
Header image: Left, Mr Albanese and Dr Aly. Right, Mr Albanese at Lakemba Mosque earlier this year (PMO).
