McKenzie investigated over shooting club money

Deputy Nationals leader Bridget McKenzie will be investigated by the nation’s top bureaucrat as further damaging revelations come to light in the sports grants scandal.

EMBATTLED deputy Nationals leader Bridget McKenzie is under investigation by the nation’s top bureaucrat over the $100 million sports grants scandal, after it was revealed she gave cash to a shooting club where she was a member.

The former sport minister’s future in Cabinet is all but dashed, with nervous Nationals already bracing themselves for more damaging revelations.

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In a bid to stem to political bleeding, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced late yesterday he had referred the matters to the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet supremo Philip Gaetjens to see if Senator McKenzie had breached ministerial standards.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton with embattled ministerial colleague Bridget McKenzie.

A negative finding from Mr Gaetjens, who was Mr Morrison’s chief of staff until June 2018, would see Senator McKenzie dropped from the front bench.

Neither the Prime Minister’s or Senator McKenzie’s office would say last night whether she would stand aside while the review takes place.

In 2017, then health minister Sussan Ley stepped aside without ministerial pay after she was referred to the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet over her taxpayer-funded travel.

Turmoil has surrounded Senator McKenzie since a damning Auditor-General’s report found more than 60 per cent of clubs to receive grants a program run by Senator McKenzie were marginal seats targeted by the Coalition.

It was also revealed yesterday that she announced a $36,000 grant on February 25 to the Wangaratta Clay Target Club, but did not publicly disclose she was a member.

She has defended this, saying the membership was a gift, valued at less than the declaration threshold.

The Prime Minister’s office last night said the Auditor-General’s report and the shooting club grant had been referred to Mr Gaetjens, seeking advice on if action needed to be taken in relation to any breach of standards.

“The Prime Minister is awaiting the secretary’s advice and will continue to follow due process,” a spokesman said.

Meanwhile it is understood that Labor has initiated discussions with the crossbench on what a Senate inquiry into the scandal would look like.

Minister Bridget McKenzie is being investigated by the nation’s top bureaucrat over the sports grants standards. Picture: AAP Image/Mick Tsikas

Earlier Nationals had warned that if the situation was not resolved before parliament returned her future would be discussed at the next party room.

Flynn MP Ken O’Dowd said Senator McKenzie had the full support of her colleagues at the moment.

“She hasn’t broken any rules. It’s a storm in a tea cup,” he said.

“We go back in two weeks time. If it’s still out there then, it will be discussed.”

Attorney-General Christian Porter yesterday defended Senator McKenzie, saying having Ministerial authority and oversight over grants programs was “completely fair and reasonable”.

But he said he was unaware of the details surround her involvement with the shooting club.

“The situations are different depending on your level of involvement. Being a mere patron or a paper member of a club is different from actually having a very active role in a club,” Mr Porter said.