Utopia season 5, episode 2 recap: Government grants, problematic statues and red tape

The federal government is splashing more cash in the second episode of the new season of Utopia, leaving chief executive officer of the National Building Authority Tony Woodford to mop up the mess.

The Million Panel Program, promising to hand out one million grants for solar panels, has flopped, with only 1100 participants registering their interest. And that's after it was touted in an ad with loveable Cluey, a cartoon dog who has been begging for a better way to heat his own kennel.

But The Australian hasn't minced its words on the Million Panel Program, Tony and even Cluey ("we've all been sold a pup").

Tony is baffled and his personal assistant, Katie, is worried about his mental health. She's there all day if he needs anything (until 5.30pm, but she can stay until 6pm).

The agency could use some good news, public relations manager Rhonda Stewart (who has no time) reckons.

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She's found it: A brand new highway in Central Queensland (actually just a bypass), finished on time (18 months late), and on budget (not exactly). And there's three ministers and a premier falling over each other to cut the ribbon on the thing.

One problem though, there's a bit of a hold up. The National Tourism Signage Reference Group can't approve a sign on the road which points to a statue of a man who was potentially problematic.

Meanwhile, Tony has tasked assistant Scott Byrnes with signing up to the Million Dollar Panel grant program.

It's as easy as one, two, three. In theory. But actually, it's a wonder 1100 people managed to sign up at all.

He raises it with Jim Gibson, the government liaison who fast-tracked the project. Jim doesn't seem to mind.

Tasked with delivering good news, chief operating officer Nat Russell has tracked down an academic who can provide more information on the subject of the potentially problematic statue, Sir Stanford Wessells.

He sounds like a decent sort of person, if you discount his days-long drunken spells, history of fraud, marriage to a 16-year-old and extensive theft of First Nations property.

Rhonda doesn't want to hear about it (she has no time).

Fine, Nat comes up with the idea to put a plaque acknowledging that certain behaviours acceptable at the time don't meet modern standards. Just one problem: Sir Wessell's horse seems to have been racistly named. Time to call Rhonda.

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