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The ScoMo Government

ScoMo is in deep dooda with the Bridget McKenzie fiasco. Every day it becomes clearer and clearer how shonky were the processes for giving away public money to sports groups before the last election.

But where does ScoMo go.

Bridget McKenzie’s office told ‘not appropriate’ to approve sports grants after applications closed
Exclusive: Sport Australia also found eight of nine did not meet ‘high merit’ criteria in some categories

Bridget McKenzie’s office approved nine sport grants after applications closed, something Sport Australia warned was unfair. It also found eight of nine did not demonstrate ‘high merit’. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP
Sarah Martin
@msmarto
Published on Fri 24 Jan 2020 19.00 GMT

1,319
Bridget McKenzie’s office approved nine sport grants in key seats that it asked Sport Australia to assess after applications closed, despite a warning from the agency that it was “not appropriate” to accept or fund the projects.

The direct request from McKenzie’s office to Sport Australia under the controversial sport rorts affair asked it to consider nine new applications that had either been substantially amended or were new on March 20 – less than two months before the May election.

Four of the applications that came directly from the minister’s office came from proponents who had not submitted an application when the grants were open publicly in August and September 2018.


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Sports grants: Michael McCormack stands by Bridget McKenzie, saying she has done ‘outstanding job’
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In response to the request from McKenzie’s office, Sport Australia warned that it was unfair for the applications to be considered, given it had refused similar requests from other MPs and sporting clubs after applications closed on 14 September 2018.

“No new applications have been accepted since this time and this has been communicated publicly – to the many MPs, sporting clubs and other organisations and individuals who have written expressly for the purpose of requesting the opportunity to apply,” a letter from Sport Australia to the minister’s office on March 22 said.

“Therefore it is not appropriate to invite or accept new applications at this time.”

https://www.theguardian.com/austral...prove-sports-grants-after-applications-closed
 
Technically the PM can't sack her. Only her National party leadership can. But she's on Michael McCormack's team, and he is very reluctant.

It's early in the term, wouldn't surprise if she hangs on.
 
Coalition government. If the Minister & Nats Leader McCormack won't budge, the PM would be highly unlikely to force the issue.
 
Sigh.... Still chuffed this mob is in instead of the other mob, but equally chuffed that I'd had no part in electing them!

Seriously unchuffed about the state of Oz politics though.
 
Not bad when a sports club can get Local, State and Federal Governments grants to fund the same project. Highlights how out of control the Federal Gov sports grants were last year. This was pure politics.

Wonder who you have to xxxx for that deal ? :D

Sports grants: Brisbane football club given $150,000 for project that was already funded
North Brisbane FC won grants from state, local and federal government for the same upgrade to its oval

Paul Karp and Amy Remeikis

Mon 27 Jan 2020 16.30 GMT Last modified on Mon 27 Jan 2020 16.32 GMT

The North Brisbane football club received $150,000 through the controversial federal sports grants program despite already having won $138,000 from the Queensland government and a $110,000 grant from the Brisbane city council for the same field surface upgrade.

https://www.theguardian.com/austral...en-150000-for-project-that-was-already-funded
 
It gets bleaker for Bridget McKenzie. Now there is story coming out from Sport Australia highlighting their specific advice to the Minister and noting how this was ignored to support projects that were in the political interest of the Lib/Nats.

Makes one wonder if the election results could be called in question even this late in the day ?

Sport Australia warned Bridget McKenzie's grants program compromised its independence
Sports grants were listed on a spreadsheet colour-coded according to which party held the seat the project was in, the ABC has reported

Paul Karp

Tue 28 Jan 2020 00.32 EST First published on Tue 28 Jan 2020 00.14 EST

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Bridget McKenzie has come under further pressure over the sports rorts affair, after the ABC published details of a leaked spreadsheet. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP
Sports Australia reportedly raised concerns about the controversial $100m sports grant program, warning the Morrison government’s administration was compromising its independence.

In an explosive report, published on Tuesday, the ABC said Sports Australia executives complained about the program in March 2019, and revealed that the three lowest scored projects that nevertheless received funding were all in Coalition-held seats.

The report is based on a leaked spreadsheet containing the merit scores of projects in the community sport infrastructure grant program, colour-coded by which party held the seat in which they were located.
https://www.theguardian.com/austral...ts-australia-bridget-mckenzie-coalition-seats

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01...ained-pre-election-government-grants/11905250
 
I like Bridget. Have heard her talk and she could have been the next National leader. Not now.

I heard the party asked her to send the money to marginal seats. She should have resisted.
 
I like Bridget. Have heard her talk and she could have been the next National leader. Not now.

I heard the party asked her to send the money to marginal seats. She should have resisted.

Barnaby was quite likeable too.

Funny how the Nats always suffer from foot in mouth disease. :)
 
A few weeks ago I heard an interview with David Littleproud....at the end I was impressed by him..talking about water policy and answering questions.Littleproud and Darren Chester may be the future of the Nationals,one can see some common sense there.
 
His hands are shaking :)
Absolutely, his first taste of a media with blood lust happening, P.M flipping is bread and butter for the media.
Especially when the P.Min question, made them all look like dicks at the last election.
Rudd, Gillard, Abbott, they all copped it, Turnbull was a keeper because he was easy to push around. :xyxthumbs
 
It looks terminal now for Deputy Leader McKenzie.

Worse by the day, and increasingly obvious that some of the most deserving applications were bypassed for partisan political reasons. There must be accountability for this. Volunteers put a lot of hours into compiling community grant applications.

Fall on your sword Deputy Leader.
 
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