Bridget McKenzie visited the Katanning Country Club in Western Australia with MP Peter Rundle before announcement

This article is more than 7 months old

This article is more than 7 months old

Bridget McKenzie’s controversial sports grants program awarded $248,000 to a country club that has a state National party MP as a life member and former chairman, weeks after the pair visited the venue together.

The revelation establishes yet another link between money awarded under the community sport infrastructure program and sport clubs associated with Liberal and National MPs.

On Tuesday the ABC reported that Sport Australia had expressed concern to the minister’s office about political interference in the grant program.

The Katanning Country Club, three-and-a-half hours south-east of Perth, received a $248,000 grant to upgrade its tennis courts just before the 2019 federal election.

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Several weeks before the money was announced, McKenzie visited the club with her party colleague, the state Nationals MLA Peter Rundle.

Rundle is the Western Australia Nationals’ spokesman for sport and recreation.

He is also a life member of the club, served as its chairman twice in the 2000s, and has played sport there since its inception in 1977.

One day before the federal election, Rundle posted on Facebook about his visit to the club with McKenzie.

He said the $248,000 grant was awarded several weeks after McKenzie’s visit.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest A Facebook post from Nationals MP Peter Rundle discussing the grant to the Katanning Country Club in WA. Photograph: Facebook

“It was great to be joined recently at the Katanning Tennis Club by Federal Nationals Deputy Leader and Minister for Sport Senator Bridget McKenzie along with John Hassell Nationals WA Candidate for O’Connor and Big Nick Fardell – Senate Candidate,” he wrote.

“The members were ecstatic when several weeks later a Federal Sports grant of $248,000 was announced for fencing, lighting, and clubhouse upgrades.”

Rundle denied any suggestion that his life membership of the club and role as a former chairman had anything to do with the minister’s visit or the grant. He said the funding would go a long way towards funding much-needed upgrades of community tennis facilities.

“It is my role as an MP to support organisations in my electorate that have applied for funding – be it through local, state or federal programs,” he told the Guardian.

“My life membership and former role as chairman of my local club – almost 20 years ago – is unrelated to the minister’s visit or awarding of any federal grant.”

The grant to the country club appears to have been announced twice. In April the Liberal MP for the federal seat of O’Connor, Rick Wilson, posted on Facebook that he had visited the club to tell members they had received $248,000 for their club rooms.

“I was joined by the member for Roe, Peter Rundle, who is a life member of the club,” Wilson wrote.

The club is located in a safe Liberal federal seat. There is no suggestion that the club was not eligible to receive the grant.

Sport Australia warned Bridget McKenzie's grants program compromised its independence Read more

But it is the latest in a series of examples of grants that have flowed to organisations linked to Liberal or Nationals members.

McKenzie herself was a member of the Wangaratta clay target club, which received a $36,000 grant through the program.

Guardian Australia also revealed another 10 grants went to clubs that boasted Coalition MPs as members or patrons, including one to a tennis club with the treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, as an honorary member, three that listed the Indigenous affairs minister, Ken Wyatt, as a patron, and another two linked to the Liberal senator Sarah Henderson.

A rugby club that has the Liberal MP Trent Zimmerman as a patron was awarded a $500,000 grant, and $70,000 went to a surf lifesaving club of which Tony Abbott was a member.

Scott Morrison said on Tuesday he was still waiting for the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet’s advice on whether ministerial standards were breached. Asked whether he still supported McKenzie being in cabinet, the prime minister said: “Well, we have a process which I’m following and she remains in the cabinet. I will wait to receive the report.”

McKenzie and the Katanning Country Club were approached for comment.