Awards given to ethnic communities in NSW have come under scrutiny, since the execution of last years awards by then premier Kristina Keneally. Last year the Ms Keneally ordered the Community Relations Commission to create four awards in honour of Sydney’s ethnic communities, similar to the Premier’s Chinese Community Service Awards.
The commission was set the task of organising four separate launch parties and award presentations for the Lebanese, Vietnamese, Philippine and Indian communities, as well as pick award winners and issue medals. The commission’s chairman, Stepan Kerkyasharian, told The Sun-Herald last week that the task would usually take five to six month, whereas last year he was given only 10 weeks.
Ms Keneally at the time wanted the awards to be held in February, supposedly to make time for the state polls in March. The communission was given $500,000 and was told to do what was required. The Minister for Citizenship and Communities, Victor Dominello, told a budget estimates hearing last week that he was “surprised” at the outpour of grants coming out two months befor the state elections. A spokesman for Mr Dominello said the commission was undertaking a review of all its grants and awards, with the ”aim of making them inclusive and effective”.