Prime Minister send sports scandal to department boss

The PM’s top public servant will investigate whether embattled cabinet minister Bridget McKenzie breached ministerial standards.

Scott Morrison has referred embattled cabinet minister Bridget McKenzie’s decision to award a $36,000 grant to a shooting club she was a member of to the head of his department.

The former sports minister is under immense pressure over a $100 million grant scheme the auditor-general found favoured clubs in marginal seats before the election.

Prime Minister and Cabinet secretary Philip Gaetjens will check whether her actions breached ministerial standards.

RELATED: Questions raised over funding for soccer club in PM’s electorate

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

In a statement, the Prime Minister’s office said Mr Morrison had referred the auditor-general’s scathing report to Mr Gaetjens on Friday.

“The Prime Minister is awaiting the secretary’s advice and will continue to follow due process. The matters raised in the media today have also been referred,” a spokesman said on Wednesday.

On Wednesday it emerged Senator McKenzie gave a grant under the program to a shooting club she is a member of at Wangaratta in Victoria.

Labor have called for Senator McKenzie to be sacked over the scandal after the damning auditor-general’s report found most of the cash went to seats the coalition was targeting.