Labor warns $200m drought package may be open to political exploitation

ALP concerned about repeat of flawed roll-out of government's regional jobs scheme

Labor has raised concerns that a new round of government drought grants could be politically exploited, as parliament's audit committee agrees to examine the Coalition's troubled regional jobs and investment scheme.

On Monday, the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit announced it had agreed to commence an inquiry into the Regional Jobs and Investment Packages (RJIP) program, along with the Australian Research Council's administration of the national competitive grants program.