‘Release the damn report’: Jacqui Lambie on the war path over sports rorts


Jacqui Lambie wants the government to release the report into the sports grants program. Photo: AAP
Independent senator Jacqui Lambie has reiterated her threat to scupper the Morrison government’s union-busting bill if it doesn’t release a secret report into the sports rorts scandal.
“What’s good for the goose is good for the gander. Now release the damn report,” Senator Lambie told ABC Radio on Thursday.
The Tasmanian senator had already lambasted the government during a scathing speech in the Senate earlier this month, claiming the Prime Minister was taking Australians for “morons” over the affair.
Scott Morrison is under fresh scrutiny over his part in the scandal, after it emerged 136 emails about the scheme were sent between his office and that of the minister responsible.
The Auditor-General found the controversial $100 million program favoured Coalition-targeted seats ahead of the May 18 election.
The Australian National Audit Office told the Senate on Wednesday there were 136 emails sent between the Prime Minister’s office and key staff of former sport minister Bridget McKenzie.
Senator McKenzie also sent a list of grants she intended to approve to Mr Morrison on the day before last year’s federal election was called.
Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese labelled the program corrupt after probing the Prime Minister’s involvement during question time.
“This rort knows no bounds,” he told Parliament on Wednesday.
Earlier this month, Scott Morrison misled the Parliament when he said every project funded through his sports rorts were eligible for funding.
Today he misled Parliament again while defending his misleading of Parliament.
Why is this PM so incapable of telling the truth?
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) February 25, 2020
Mr Morrison insists his office had no decision-making role in the scheme.
“We passed on information about other funding options or programs relevant to project proposals and we provided information based on the representations made to us,” he said.
Senator McKenzie was forced to quit after she was found to have broken ministerial rules by not declaring potential conflicts of interest relating to gun club memberships.
But the same report by Prime Minister and cabinet secretary Philip Gaetjens disagreed with the independent Auditor-General that target seats were favoured.
His report hasn’t been publicly released, and Senator Lambie maintains if the government doesn’t do so, she won’t back their union-busting “ensuring integrity” bill.
“Why don’t you just release it out there? What are you hiding? It is a cover-up,” she said.
The Australian Sports Commission will on Thursday come before a Senate hearing focused on how the sports grants were administered.
ANAO official Brian Boyd told a Senate hearing earlier in the month there was no evidence projects with Prime Ministerial representations had higher success rates.
-with AAP