$3.3m in sports grants awarded after election called
Sport Australia says it suffered ‘reputational damage’, with the nine projects going to clubs in predominantly Coalition-held seats.
Nine sports projects worth $3.3m — that went to clubs and shires in predominantly Coalition-held seats were approved under the controversial sports grants program after the 2019 election was called.
Confirmation of which projects were added to the third and final round of the $100m scheme hours after parliament was dissolved on 11 April last year came as Sport Australia conceded the agency had suffered “reputational damage” in the wake of the sports rorts saga.
Sport Australia’s chief operating officer Luke McCann was forced to correct evidence to the Senate on Wednesday amid Labor claims he had “misled” a parliamentary committee scrutinising the grants.
Sport Australia administered the grants while former sports minister Bridget McKenzie, who last month quit cabinet for breaching ministerial standards by handing a grant to a gun club she was a member of, approved applications.
Mr McCann told parliament last week Sport Australia received the final round three brief from Senator McKenzie, which included the list of projects to be funded, at 8.46am on April 11.
In fact the final brief was sent at 12.43pm because the 8.46am version contained “errors”.
It was revealed by the Australian National Audit Office on Monday that one project was removed and another added at 8.46am on April 11 at the request of the Scott Morrison’s office, 17 minutes after parliament had been prorogued.
At 12.35pm on that day another nine projects were added and one removed by Senator McKenzie’s office.
Mr McCann confirmed the nine successful applicants included the Maroondah City Council ($500,000), Yeppoon Swans AFL Club ($146,200) and Yarra Ranges Shire Council ($500,000) – all located in what were marginal Coalition seats before the 2019 election.
Another three projects for the Katanning Country Club ($248,000), Pennant Hills AFL Club ($500,000) and Shire of Coolgardie ($287,823) – located in safe Liberal seats – were handed grants after being approved on April 11.
Westbury Bowling Club, located in the marginal Labor seat of Lyons, was given $235,000, the Nagambie foreshore walk in the newly created seat of Nicholls held by the Nationals was handed $350,000 and the Wangaratta Rural City Council in the marginal independent electorate of Indi received $500,000.
The public deadline for the sports grants closed in September 2018.
Belgrave Netball Club in Melbourne, in Liberal MP and Speaker of the House Tony Smith’s marginal electorate of Casey, received $500,000 for a home ground netball court with lights and a player shelter through the Yarra Ranges Shire Council.
Local resident Carolyn Manning said the funding allocations weren’t fair but she wasn’t surprised by politicians rorting the system.
The Auditor-General found the Community Sport Infrastructure program was biased towards marginal Liberal and National Party electorates, as well as Labor and independent seats targeted by the Coalition.
“It’s sad that it is in a way expected,” Ms Manning said.
“There’s a whole outrage but it doesn’t change anything.”
Ms Manning said the duplicitous behaviour wouldn’t impact her vote because she always chose the party with the best health policies.
Sports Minister Richard Colbeck said he had a meeting with two staffers from the Prime Minister’s office on Tuesday night ahead of Wednesday’s Senate estimates hearing with Sport Australia.
He rejected opposition finance spokeswoman Katy Gallagher’s assertion Mr Morrison’s office was “up to their eyes in it, covering up and directing you how to answer or how not to answer and not to provide information to the committee”.
Sport Australia sought advice from the Department of Health about how to run the sports grants program in caretaker mode, during which time the government must avoid making major policy decisions and entering into major contracts, on the afternoon of April 11.
The agency was told to consider actions that related to major government decisions that may bind a future government.
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