What is wrong with this arrogant prick?
Immigration Minister Scott Morrison accused of taking 'petty, vindictive' axe to Refugee Council's budget fundingBy political reporter Latika Bourke
The Federal Government has decided to axe its funding to the Refugee Council of Australia, a fortnight after allocating it in the budget.
The Refugee Council says Immigration Minister Scott Morrison's decision to cut the funding is "petty and vindictive."
The budget put aside $140,000 per year for the organisation over the next four years.
But the Refugee Council's Paul Power says the Department of Immigration has since phoned him to say that Mr Morrison has decided to axe the funding.
"A lot of people are telling us that they see it as petty and potentially vindictive towards an organisation that can often be critical of government," he said."It's a very small amount of money that the money is saving, and also the money was allocated in the budget.
"It's really indicative of the current government's attitude to non-government organisations that are working with refugees and asylum seekers."
Mr Power says he was told the agency had to "share the pain" of the budget’s spending cuts.
The organisation is 33 years old and serves as the national umbrella body for 180 organisations that deal with refugees and asylum seekers.
The federal funding it receives makes up a quarter of its budget, with 43 per cent coming from donations and membership fees.