Bridget McKenzie fires up against press pack in annual netball game

Just over three weeks after she was forced to resign from cabinet, Bridget McKenzie has made a comeback – of sorts – against the Press Gallery.

Bridget McKenzie taking part in the annual Press v Pollies netball game at Parliament House. Picture: Gary Ramage

It’s been just over three weeks since Bridget McKenzie was forced to resign as Nationals deputy leader in the wake of the so-called sports rorts saga, but the Victorian senator has made a comeback of sorts.

Playing in the annual Press v Pollies netball game, which is part of a bigger sports competition at Parliament House, Senator McKenzie returned to her favourite position – goal keeper – to try and get the team of Coalition and Labor MPs across the line.

Picture: Gary Ramage

Picture: Gary Ramage

The press smashed the pollies in a rare netball victory. Sadly for the reporters, no one recorded the score.

Senator McKenzie quit as agriculture minister and deputy ­Nationals leader in early February after it was found she breached the ministerial code of conduct.

Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet secretary Phil ­Gaetjens found Senator McKenzie breached standards by failing to declare she was a member of a Victorian gun club that received a $36,000 grant.

Former Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce was also in action on the parliament oval in a game of touch football. Mr Joyce, who has never been one to shy away from a stoush, was so caught up in the battle he momentarily forgot it wasn’t a game of tackle.

The moment @Barnaby_Joyce realises we’re playing touch footy not rugby 🏉
Pic courtesy of @mpbowers pic.twitter.com/slqK6PLqEW

— Trudy McIntosh (@TrudyMcIntosh) February 25, 2020

Nationals leader Michael McCormack and his new deputy David Littleproud have not ruled out a return to the frontbench for Senator McKenzie and Mr Joyce, as well as former resources minister Matt Canavan.

Mr Joyce unsuccessfully challenged Mr McCormack in a rare Nationals leadership spill earlier this month amid concerns the leader was not cutting through in the regions, nor reaching out to his entire team.

Mr McCormack told Nine “time will tell” whether there is another attempt to spill his leadership, while Mr Littleproud said of another challenge in this term: “You never say never in polit­ics; that would be unwise.”

The press gallery is dominating the competition inside the Canberra bubble, defeating the pollies in the soccer 1-0 and touch footy 4-3. AFL, tennis and cricket will be played next.

Mr McCormack is captain of the pollies cricket team, Labor MPs Joanne Ryan, Graham Perrett and Peter Khalil captain the netball, football and AFL teams respectively, Liberal MP John Alexander – a former professional tennis player who reached No 8 in the world in 1975 – leads the tennis team.

A bipartisan leadership of Labor MP Chris Hayes and Liberal MP Andrew Laming are captains of the swimming team.