Trent Zimmerman did not declare to parliament that he was a patron of the Hunters Hill Rugby Club, which received $500,000 grant just before electionTony Abbott: councils and sports clubs in former PM's seat received $1m in grantsCouncils and sports clubs in Tony Abbott’s seat of Warringah received more than $1m in grants under a controversial federal program, including a $70,000 grant to a surf lifesaving club of which Abbott was a member. In his register of interests for the 45th parliament, Abbott declared in September 2016 that he was a member and patron of the Queenscliff Surf Lifesaving Club. According to Sport Australia, the club received $70,000 in the first round of grants under the community sport infrastructure grant scheme, awarded in December 2018. “Our surf clubs do a wonderful job keeping our communities safe, promoting good characters and healthy lives and I’m very pleased the federal government has been able to help the Queenscliff Surf Life Saving Club.”Tony Abbott’s Facebook announcement of Queenscliff Surf Lifesaving Club’s community sport infrastructure grant. Zimmerman said he had advocated for the upgrade of the Hunters Hill Rugby Club’s facilities but that the club had taken the lead in submitting the application.

Source: The Guardian January 22, 2020 16:30 UTC