Rort
3515987
220019868
2008-06-17T22:17:37Z
John Quiggin
125919
branch stacking
A '''rort''' in Australia is a piece of sharp practice, commonly related to politics, or, more generally, a financial impropriety, particularly relating to a government program. The term was first recorded in 1919 and is a derivative of the older "rorty" a 19th century London slang word – meaning “fine; splendid; jolly; or boisterous” [http://www.abc.net.au/newsradio/txt/s1896574.htm]. The term is also used as a verb.
Long in use in the [[New South Wales]] branch of the [[Australian Labor Party]], where it typically referred to such practices as [[branch stacking]], the term came into widespread use after the Travel Rorts scandal of 1997, in which a large number of Federal politicians were accused of misusing travel allowances. Three Ministers [[David Jull]], [[Peter McGauran]] and [[John Sharp]] resigned as a result, and Labor frontbencher [[Nick Sherry]] attempted suicide. [http://sunday.ninemsn.com.au/sunday/cover_stories/article_157.asp?s=1]
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