A year on from the Auditor-General’s damning report into the Sports Rorts scandal, clubs and communities are still suffering from the injustice of their projects being rejected so Scott Morrison could pork-barrel marginal and target seats.
Those clubs are still waiting for the belated support promised by the Prime Minister and the Treasurer more than 11 months ago, in an attempt to suggest they would fix some of the damage their own rorting caused.
They are still waiting for Senator Bridget McKenzie to front up to the Senate inquiry Labor initiated, to answer questions about her own involvement and that of Scott Morrison and his office.
A year after the Morrison Government’s shameless, industrial-scale rorting, it has still not apologised or made any attempt to right the wrongs it inflicted on sports club volunteers.
Why is it so hard for this Government to admit its wrongdoing, apologise and deliver the support clubs and communities still need and deserve?
Clubs that missed out are still providing sporting opportunities for their communities, despite not having been able to upgrade their facilities as planned.
At a time when billions of dollars of public money are being spend trying to revive the economy, the Morrison Government is too stubborn, too unwilling to admit its own failings to fund the clubs it wronged.
Investing in community sport infrastructure projects that are ready to go, and have been assessed as meritorious by Sport Australia, might not restore faith in this Government’s handling of grants, but it would provide a much-needed boost to local economies.
Grassroots sport infrastructure projects can employ local builders, local tradies, local contractors and deliver work within local communities, all for the good of the community.
The Senate Select Committee on Administration of Sports Grants inquiry will resume in coming weeks and expects to hear from Senator Bridget McKenzie about her role and her dealings with the Prime Minister and his office on Sports Rorts.