In the same way that West Australian cricket teams harness the Fremantle Doctor, Spain always select clay courts for Davis Cup ties or Manchester United welcome a disproportionate amount of penalty awards at the intimidating Stretford End of Old Trafford, so Bass gets to enjoy a totally unfair share of federal finances come election time.

It is the Australian way.

Pork-barrelling in Bass is an Australian sporting tradition right up there with the Boxing Day Test match.

lt is how it always has been. To change it would be like making the grand final a twilight match, shortening footy half-times to 10 minutes, eliminating the centre bounce, enlarging the goal square, making 50-metre-plus goals worth nine points or any of the other deliberately controversial proposals suggested and subsequently rejected by the AFL to ensure it remains forefront of national media reports through quiet down times in the off-season.

Rarely is pork barrelled with the same enthusiasm and efficiency as in Bass.

It is a highly-skilled, finely-tuned tradition, maintained by whichever party happens to be in power.

Indeed, if it were an OIympic sport, Bass would be to pork-barrelling what Queensland is to swimming.

To change things would upset the equilibrium.

Clearly the sporting clubs of North-East Tasmania are far more deserving than counterparts elsewhere that lacked the foresight to be based in marginal seats.

People seem to be looking at this Federal Government's sports grant rort thing the wrong way.

Too many are presenting it as a scandal when it should be viewed as an opportunity.

It is easy to see the situation through the eyes of disadvantaged clubs denied deserved funding by the misfortune of being situated in safe seats.

However, for those of us located in marginal electorates, this is a time for celebration.

Did someone say "Electorate of Bass"? Ker-ching.

Bridget McKenzie is not some evil corrupt minister in need of sacking.

She is a federal cash cow in need of milking.

It is never wise to argue with a cashed-up politician, least of all one with a penchant for guns.

I feel I speak for all of Bass when I say the hounding of poor Ms McKenzie leading to her eventual resignation on Sunday simply for maintaining a tradition upheld - albeit slightly more tactfully - by all her predecessors was nothing short of deplorable.

Without such colourful rorts, how are sporting clubs in marginal electorates supposed to maintain an edge over adversaries in safe seats?

These ludicrous demands for so-called fairness are so unfair.

If the pen-pushing do-gooders have their way, all future applications will be colour-coded based on suitability rather than the tried-and-tested party-in-power method.

And why should anybody assume that Sport Australia know anything about sport in Australia?

Clearly the deputy leader of the Nationals Party with a vested interest in maintaining the existing Parliamentary balance is far more qualified to know whether a project is worthy or not. Especially if she (or he) is already a member of any of them.

Claims of a conflict of interest are as wide of the mark as McKenzie's aim before she improved it at Wangaratta Gun Club following its surprise, long-overdue and thoroughly-merited $36,000 grant through the much-aligned Community Sport Infrastructure Program.

Presumably, now the insatiable appetite of the press pack will see them next target Scott Morrison who, as McKenzie's boss, could not possibly be expected to be on top of what rorts she may, or may not, have been overseeing. It's not as if he had anything to gain. Typical media, always on the hunt for a story which isn't there.

If Morrison did know about the rort, they will doubtless claim he was complicit and if he didn't then they'll say he was incompetent. He just can't win.

Unlike sport clubs in marginal electorates who are offered a playing field about as level as Collingwood's fixture list.

And as one of the most marginal electorates in the country, Bass needs to think long and hard about what matters most.

Do we want to waste time relentlessly pursuing hard-working politicians merely trying to do their job or do we want another new surface for UTAS Stadium because it has been nearly three months since the last one?

Alternatively, why not finance another national footy team to come to Tasmania? The cash-strapped AFL is struggling to get by with only two clubs being financed by Tasmanian taxpayers.

Come on people, get a grip.

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