Nationals deputy leader Bridget McKenzie officially approved a grant for a shooting club just four days after becoming a member.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
The federal Nationals deputy leader is standing firm amid pressure to quit over her handling over the alleged sports rort scandal as an inquiry probes whether or not she breached ministerial standards.
Evidence gathered during an audit of the scheme found just 20 minutes after Sport Australia lodged its recommendation with the Department of Health in January last year,it withdrew the list because Senator McKenzie's office had advised"there may be a late change to the submission".
On January 29,Senator McKenzie's office provided Sport Australia with a list of 236 projects it had identified for round two funding — with only 73 in common with the original merit-based selections.
The sport's body then revised its recommendations as a result,dumping 36 projects and adopting all but four of those Senator McKenzie's office had asked to be funded,approving them in early February. The Wangaratta club was on the list and received almost $36,000.
The so-called sports rorts scandal is poised to plague the Morrison government into a second week amid an ongoing review,which threatens to overshadow Prime Minister Scott Morrison's address to the National Press Club of Australia on Wednesday.
Mr Morrison is waiting for his department's secretary,Phil Gaetjens,to rule on whether Senator McKenziebreached ministerial standards by failing to declare in her register of interests her membership of the gun club,which received a $36,000 grant under the scheme.