Prime Minister has tried to separate himself from the sports rorts controversy and the decision-making of former minister Bridget McKenzie.
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Asked in question time on Wednesday why the Australian National Audit Office claimed he asked Senator McKenzie's office to seek his authority over the list of grant recipients, he turned responsibility back to the Senator.
"The authority for making the decisions in relation for that program was the Minister for Sport. That's a fact," he said.
"The only authority sought from the Prime Minister's office and from myself was in relation to announcements."
The renewed pressure on the government over the scandal comes after the Senate inquiry into the administration of sport grants published a letter from Auditor-General Grant Hehir this week.
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He revealed the 11 changes to the list of grant recipients between the first confirmation email sent from Senator McKenzie's office at 8.46am and the second at 12.43pm on April 11 last year - the last day before the government went into caretaker mode before the federal election.
The grant amount for the Shire of Coolgardie was reduced by $212,177, down from $500,000 to the amended application amount of $287,823.
North Wangaratta Football Netball Club was granted $500,000, after the application was submitted on the club's behalf by Wangaratta Council.
The council's chief executive Brendan McGrath said the $174,500 application for lighting on the oval was unsuccessful, but the $500,000 the project with oval lighting, netball courts and netball court lighting was successful.
Mr Hehir's letter also pointed out that grants for Katanning Country Club, Yeppoon Swans AFL Club, Pennant Hills AFL Club and Westbury Bowling Club were approved after visits from Senator McKenzie in person.
"While the minister also recorded that she 'agreed' to the Sport Australia recommendation that she record the reasons for any funding decisions that differed from Sport Australia's recommendations, no reasons were recorded," he said.
He has said the grants were awarded based on marginal electorates rather than expert advice, but in a statement on Wednesday, Senator McKenzie stood by her decision.
"I provided a comprehensive submission to the Select Committee on Administration of Sports Grants. Changes to projects in round three were made in accordance with the program's guidelines," she said.
