Bridget McKenzie’s resignation over sports grants scandal won’t fix anything

There are calls for the minister at the centre of the “sports rort” scandal to quit or be sacked, but there’s a much bigger problem being ignored.

The embattled minister at the centre of the Government’s sports grant scandal may or may not survive.

Many are expecting Bridget McKenzie to resign over her controversial handling of a $100 million sports grants program, but even if she does, it won’t fix the problem facing the Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his Government.

All it will do is confirm that the National Party deputy leader and former sports minister has been made a scapegoat in a rort that probably went all the way to the top.

Resignations always come with an implicit admission that the blame can be slated back to one person. Not even the most naive believe Senator McKenzie operated unilaterally.

Minister for Agriculture Bridget McKenzie and Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Picture: Marc Tewksbury/AAP

Dozens of Liberal and National MPs and candidates blindly accepted thousands of dollars for their electorates under the Community Sports Infrastructure grants program — no questions asked. In the frenetic desperation that comes with an election campaign, ministers and even a former prime minister, apparently didn’t think there was anything amiss.

Due process or not, it’s scary that not one of these seasoned politicians thought — at the very least — it was a bad look to be accepting $500,000 for the local rowing club, for example, at a time when charities had endured funding cuts, the public service had endless efficiency dividends imposed and we were all asked to tighten our belts for the good of the nation.

Taxpayers suspect that this kind of party-preferential spending goes on, but when the facts are laid out as they have been and further lambasted by the auditor general, it lends credibility to the assumption that voters are rewarded or punished for how they vote.

Let’s not pretend this is the first Government — Coalition or Labor — to push the boundaries and blur the lines. In fact, I would argue that the lines have been incrementally blurred for decades.

It’s slowly become the new normal and the Morrison Government’s biggest failure was in failing to keep up at least the pretence of fair process.

Former PM Tony Abbott seemed to have no issue accepting a grant for Mosman Rowing Club in his electorate from then sports minister Bridget McKenzie in April last year. Picture: Julian Andrews/AAP

Politicians need to be reminded that they work for us. They are spending taxpayers’ money at our behest, not for their political gain — whether it’s at election time or not.

As of midday on Thursday Senator McKenzie told me she would not resign and she was not being pressured by the Prime Minister or Deputy Prime Minister.

She’s a tough operator and, like most who occupy the Ministerial Wing of Parliament House, has her fair share of detractors and vultures circling.

If she goes, someone else wins the prize of Agriculture Minister and Nationals Deputy, and it would likely spark a reshuffle. And in this game of thrones, never discount self interest as motivation.

The Prime Minister has a bigger issue to address, whether Senator McKenzie stays or goes. Picture: Rohan Thomson/Getty Images

Coalition strategists will also be thinking that if they cut Senator McKenzie loose, they’ll call off the media hounds and save others that were in on it.

As the most senior female National, this is not her first time handling the subterranean tactics of her colleagues.

She should continue to dig her heels in. If they really want her gone they’re going to have to sack her.

But even if they do, a much bigger cultural problem within the Government will remain. Getting rid of Senator McKenzie won’t get rid of that.

Laura Jayes is political reporter and co-host of First Edition on Sky News. Follow her on Twitter @ljayes