By punting Bridget McKenzie, it excuses the broader behaviour of ignoring guidelines and allocating grants to target seats, and firewalls the PM’s office.

It was, as a colleague predicted, akin to jailing Al Capone for tax evasion.
Nationals leader Michael McCormack, who has the primary responsibility for hiring and firing his charges, has pretty much been in witness protection. 
And why, if there was no political bias, did the government adopt the Audit recommendations to combat such behaviour in the future?
Morrison hopes the ousting of McKenzie will draw a line under the saga. By punting her on a technicality, it excuses the broader behaviour of ignoring guidelines and allocating grants to target seats.
It guarantees ministers in the future will retain the discretion to do the same.
And it firewalls Morrison’s office from any role it may have played in dictating who got the grants. That’s the hope anyway. One suspects this will go on for a little while yet.
Morrison should at least be applauded for fronting up and making the announcement.
Nationals leader Michael McCormack, who has the primary responsibility for hiring and firing his charges, has pretty much been in witness protection and on Sunday, was no-where to be seen.
“On his way to Canberra,” Morrison said when asked of the whereabouts of his deputy.
While the Prime Minister, who is refusing to release the Gaetjens report, faces the task of trying to convince the electorate the egregious pork barrelling was not what it seems, the Nationals are in for upheaval.
With Barnaby Joyce arguing vehemently on the weekend for McKenzie to be spared, old fault lines threaten to open.
Mitigating against a total split is personal ambition. McKenzie’s demise presents an opportunity for four of her colleagues as her positions of deputy leader, cabinet minister and Senate leader are all up for grabs.
As will be a position in the junior ministry when, presumably, Darren Chester takes the cabinet spot. Unless Joyce gets there first.