Timeline of McKenzie sports grants scandal

TIMELINE OF SPORTS GRANTS SCANDAL

January 15

- Auditor-general report released into $100 million Community Sport Infrastructure Program. Two main conclusions: "the award of grant funding was not informed by an appropriate assessment process and sound advice; the successful applications were not those that had been assessed as the most meritorious in terms of the published program guidelines".

January 16

- Former sports minister Bridget McKenzie says no rules were broken. "The reality was there were many hundreds of meritorious projects that we just didn't have the funding available for."

- Labor says McKenzie, who is now in cabinet as agriculture minister, should be sacked or resign

January 17

- Prime Minister refers issue to his department chief, but does not make this publicly known

- Minor parties say they will back a Senate inquiry into the matter, when parliament resumes on February 4

January 18

- Slater and Gordon says a class action is possible as tens of millions of dollars in sporting club grants were awarded to clubs whose applications for funding would otherwise have been unsuccessful.

January 20

- PM says in interviews he is taking the auditor report seriously and that he's tasked the attorney-general with looking at legal issues raised in it.

January 21

- Labor wants the details published of all grant applications and their assessment scores

- Law academic Professor Anne Twomey questioned whether the constitution was breached as the federal government has no power to hand out money to sports clubs.

January 22

- PM publicly reveals he sought an inquiry by his department chief

- Media reports say McKenzie was a member of a gun club which received a grant. The membership was not declared by the minister. Her office says the membership was a gift and did not need declaring.