13. Is there a ban on the use of state resources in favour or against a political party or candidate?

There is evidence of political bias in the use of state resources. For example the National Audit Office investigation of the awarding of Federal grants under the Community Sport Infrastructure Program found that "the Minister’s Office focused on ‘marginal’ electorates held by the Coalition as well as those electorates held by other parties or independent members that were to be ‘targeted’ by the Coalition at the 2019 Election. A total 61% of all grants approved by the Minister did not meet the  cut off score based on Sport Australia’s assessed merit". No penalty was applied to the Minister responsible for the approval of the grants. 

Source: The  Auditor-General Report No.23 2019–20 Performance Audit of funding under the Community Sport Infrastructure Program.15 January 2020.