The two-week long sports rorts saga could claim the scalp of the Nationals deputy leader Bridget McKenzie before Parliament returns next week | rharris334
a $36,000 grant the former sports minister awarded to a Victorian shooting club without publicly declaring she was a member of the clubA spokeswoman for Senator McKenzie, now Agriculture Minister, said the Wangaratta Clay Target Club membership was a "gift" in January 2019 and valued at less than $300, so a declaration to the Senate was "unnecessary".
All nine of the last-minute projects were in Coalition seats or seats being targeted by the Nationals or Liberal Party. Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese said the Gaetjens review was unnecessary because the auditor-general had already condemned Senator McKenzie's actions.
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'One thing infuriates me about the Bridget McKenzie scandal': Bolt | Sky News AustraliaSky News host Andrew Bolt says there is “one thing” which particularly “infuriates” him in relation to the Bridget McKenzie ‘sports rorts’ scandal. \n\nMr Bolt said he was ‘infuriated’ that all the “volunteers,” the parents, coaches and administrators who give up their time “for their clubs” all thought the “government would play by the rules”. \n\nWhat “none of them knew,” Mr Bolt said, is that they had been played as “suckers”. \n\nThe Morrison government has been under pressure on the issue over the last month after it was revealed then-sports minister Bridget McKenzie used the $100 million program to target marginal seats ahead of the 2019 election. \n\n“Why doesn't Bridget McKenzie resign now before she's sacked?” he said. \n\nImage: Getty
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I hounded Ros Kelly until she resigned, but Bridget McKenzie's sports rorts are worseThe former federal opposition leader writes on his attack on Labor's sports rorts in 1994, and argues there is a clearer abuse of power in the current scandal.
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I hounded Ros Kelly until she resigned, but Bridget McKenzie's sports rorts are worseThe former federal opposition leader writes on his attack on Labor's sports rorts in 1994, and argues there is a clearer abuse of power in the current scandal.
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McKenzie saga could drag on to weekend as Morrison manages falloutHundreds of sporting clubs could get the grants they were denied as Prime Minister Scott Morrison tries to limit the fallout from the sport rorts scandal.
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‘McKenzie’s position untenable’: Albanese | Sky News AustraliaOpposition Leader Anthony Albanese says Bridget McKenzie “is an embarrassment to the government” and “her ongoing presence as a minister is untenable”.\n\n“This is a farce and it’s about time that Bridget McKenzie resigned her position, and if she won’t do that, the prime minister should sack her.”\n\nThe Deputy Nationals leader's future remains in doubt following allegations she doled out grants to sporting clubs in marginal seats to sway the outcome of the federal election while she was sports minister.\n\nShe is also under scrutiny amid concerns further government drought assistance grants under her watch were awarded to councils that did not meet eligibility requirements. \n\nSky News Political Editor Andrew Clennell said Ms McKenzie signed off on six Drought Communities Program grants to councils which did not meet the eligibility criteria. \n\nImage: News Corp\n
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BREAKING: McKenzie oversaw second grant scandal | Sky News AustraliaBridget McKenzie is facing fresh scrutiny amid concerns further government grants under her watch were awarded to councils which did not meet eligibility requirements. \n\nSky News Political Editor Andrew Clennell said Ms McKenzie signed off on six Drought Communities Program grants to councils which did not meet the eligibility criteria. \n\nA drought grant was reportedly awarded to La Trobe Council despite only 2.92 per cent of the population being employed in the agriculture industry. \n\nThe minimum requirement for the grant was 17 per cent. \n\nIn a Senate Estimates exchange in October 2019, Department of Infrastructure's Diana Hallam said the 14 drought grants did not meet requirements. \n\nA spokesman for the Agriculture Minister said all 14 councils in question met one or both criteria. \n\n“Any decision to approve council areas as eligible for the Drought Communities Program is set out in the guidelines and involves consultation between the Minister for Regional Development and Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources,” he said. \n\n“Ministerial discretion on final funding decisions exists to ensure councils that do not meet the rigid thresholds can still access support based on their individual circumstances. All 14 councils met one or both criteria.”
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