Because there is always the danger that the average political observer will have trouble drawing the distinction between a government department and the government that funds it., so any criticism of the former can easily be read as an indictment of the latter.

Federal Member for Calare Andrew Gee chose to wade into these difficult waters this week following revelations that The Neighbourhood Centre in Bathurst had lost $80,000 in federal funding for its local migrant support program.

The funding cut meant the loss of one employee whose job it was to respond to migrant issues.

At the same time, Orange City Council’s funding was also reduced but the area its migrant support worker was expected to cover was increased to include (among other areas) Bathurst.

Bathurst Regional Council was due to discuss its response to the situation at its monthly meeting on Wednesday night but Mr Gee got in first, issuing a statement on Tuesday making it clear he had not been consulted on the funding cut before it had been announced.

“It’s a decision that was frustratingly taken by faraway bureaucrats who claimed that numbers had dropped but was made with little appreciation for the practical difficulties in chopping and changing providers, the subsequent drop in the level of local service or the distances that people have to travel to get support in the country,” it read.

Mr Gee also vowed to “get to the bottom of what happened and find a solution”, and we can only wish him well with that.

But while we have no reason to doubt what he says about the funding cut, it’s simply not possible for a government politician to completely distance themselves from the decision of a government department.

He may not have been consulted about the local funding cut, but it was made in the context of overall government funding for the department.

If politicians want to be photographed wearing funny hats and holding shiny shovels whenever a good news funding announcement is made in their electorate, they must also accept they will be held responsible when funding cuts are announced.

It may not be fair, but that’s politics.