Former sports minister Bridget McKenzie reportedly approved a $36,000 grant for her clay target shooting club in regional Victoria.
Cabinet Minister Bridget McKenzie has downplayed her ties to a shooting club that received nearly $36,000 under the federal government's community sports grant program.
The audit also determined Senator McKenzie, now agriculture minister, ignored merit-based recommendations from Sport Australia in the distribution of funding. Prime Minister Scott Morrison is seen with cabinet minister Bridget McKenzie at Penrith Valley Regional Sports Centre.The shooting club stated it considers Senator McKenzie to be one of its members in its own announcement of the visit on its website.
Senator McKenzie did not disclose she was a member of the club when her senator's register of interests was last updated on November 21. A spokeswoman for Senator McKenzie told Nine newspapers the Wangaratta Clay Target Club membership was a “gift” valued at less than $300, so a declaration to the Senate was “unnecessary”.
The memberships are listed in MPs’ register of interests, with the exception of Senator McKenzie's links to the shooting club. Mr Morrison and Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack are backing the under-fire minister, facing pressure from Labor to step down.
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