sport grants

In a letter to committee chair Anthony Chisholm on January 15, Mckenzie said she would be available to appear on the date — but only for one hour.

Colbeck’s claim had prevented Sport Australia from handing over key evidence to the inquiry into the administration of funding under the commonwealth’s controversial Community Sport Infrastructure Grant program, despite the entity having already agreed to do so.

ANAO performance audit services group executive director Brian Boyd told a senate inquiry that McKenzie’s senior adviser had created a document of ‘talking points’ detailing how expanding the grants program would have funded 109 more projects in marginal and target seats.

The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet head has defended his probe into former sport minister Bridget McKenzie.

The former sports minister at the centre of the sports rorts scandal has blamed public servants for not voicing their concerns over her handling of the federal government’s community sport infrastructure grant scheme.

The new evidence was recently revealed to the Senate inquiry charged with investigating the handling of the sports grants program in answers to questions on notice.

The secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has pulled out of his scheduled appearance before the Senate inquiry into the controversial sports rorts.

A Senate committee into the sports rorts will begin on Thursday with evidence from the national auditor-general Grant Hehir. Gaetjens will also be called.