Mr MILLS - 1999-10-12
There is speculation about the prospect of a Northern Territory Australian Rules football team participating in the South Australian National Football League competition. What progress is the bid by the NTFL making, and what role is the government is playing in this process?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I thank the honourable member for Blain for his question. It is pertinent and it reflects his interest in sport in his own electorate.
This is a pretty complex matter. On one hand we have the peak body of Aussie Rules football in the Territory asking us to look at sponsoring a team to go in the South Australian National Football League competition. There are a number of forces at work here and not all of them are complementary. For instance, the local clubs are a little apprehensive about the effect this will have on the local competition. They are concerned also that it might mean a move to a dry season competition. And, I might add, most of the other sports in the Top End are concerned about what level of promotional support from the business sector this might soak up.
The Northern Territory government very generously funds sport all over the Territory, the length and breadth of the Territory. We have invested millions in sports infrastructure, and the health, cultural and social benefits …
Ms Martin: Excuse me, it is taxpayers’ dollars - not ‘we’, taxpayers.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr LUGG: We, the Northern Territory government, elected and re-elected and re-elected by the taxpayers of the Northern Territory, spend taxpayers’ money supporting Territorians. Do you have a problem with that? We must consider what benefits this will give to Territorians.
We have the member for Arafura there saying publicly: ‘Oh, just give them $100 000’. That’s like Labor - throw money at it. They have no concern, no fiscal responsibility whatsoever. We in the government are concerned that we approach this in a considered manner. We are saying we will look at what the benefit is to Territory football, to Territory sportsmen and women and to the community overall.
I am a little concerned personally that this money will end up in the vaults of the airlines, because essentially a lot of it is for transporting players and finding them accommodation. We are also concerned about the other matters I’ve mentioned. Without making a judgment at this stage, there are a number of concerns that constituents have right across the Territory.
The Chief Minister and I will be meeting next week with Leigh Whicker, the CEO of the South Australian National Football League, along with senior representatives from the NTFL, to work out a position. But essentially they’re asking us to put money into something which is yet to be quantified. In the past we have said to them: ‘Go away, drum up private sector support for this bid and then tell us what exactly you want’. They have yet to tell us exactly what they want.
It is going to cost in the order of $1.3m to $1.5m to run this. The South Australians are putting in a substantial sum. The AFL are talking about putting in a substantial sum. They are interested in developing regional football across this country. I am concerned that we will be stuck with putting in a sum as yet undetermined. It could be upwards of $0.25m every year.
A member: Forever.
Mr LUGG: Forever. We really do not want to be unfair to Territory taxpayers and enter into a relationship like this until we know exactly what we are entering into.
Mr Ah Kit: You put $3m into the rifle range.
Mr LUGG: The member over there says just throw the money at it. Is that your alternative - just throw the money at it? I will pick up his interjection. That money we put into the Micket Creek rifle range and the pistol shooting complex is an enduring structure, a piece of sports infrastructure that develops all Territorians sport in that area. And we have produced a world champion and a world junior champion – that’s what you get for it.
I used to play against you at Aussie Rules when I was in the colts competition, but only when you got a game instead of being the water boy. But I digress.
Mr Ah Kit interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The minister will resume his seat, please. If the member for Arnhem makes a further outburst like that he will be out for an hour.
Mr LUGG: To sum up briefly, we are concerned about what effect this has on all Territory sport. We are keen, as we have always been keen, to promote the Territory and promote Territory sportsmen and women. We already fund the NTFL very generously and we don’t resile from that. We will continue to fund them. But we want to focus on what’s best for Territory football - not for Ansett and Qantas.
We have yet to hear all the arguments and know the amounts. We will make our decision in a considered way, not off-the-cuff, after extensive consultation. That’s the byword of this government - extensive public consultation.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I thank the honourable member for Blain for his question. It is pertinent and it reflects his interest in sport in his own electorate.
This is a pretty complex matter. On one hand we have the peak body of Aussie Rules football in the Territory asking us to look at sponsoring a team to go in the South Australian National Football League competition. There are a number of forces at work here and not all of them are complementary. For instance, the local clubs are a little apprehensive about the effect this will have on the local competition. They are concerned also that it might mean a move to a dry season competition. And, I might add, most of the other sports in the Top End are concerned about what level of promotional support from the business sector this might soak up.
The Northern Territory government very generously funds sport all over the Territory, the length and breadth of the Territory. We have invested millions in sports infrastructure, and the health, cultural and social benefits …
Ms Martin: Excuse me, it is taxpayers’ dollars - not ‘we’, taxpayers.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr LUGG: We, the Northern Territory government, elected and re-elected and re-elected by the taxpayers of the Northern Territory, spend taxpayers’ money supporting Territorians. Do you have a problem with that? We must consider what benefits this will give to Territorians.
We have the member for Arafura there saying publicly: ‘Oh, just give them $100 000’. That’s like Labor - throw money at it. They have no concern, no fiscal responsibility whatsoever. We in the government are concerned that we approach this in a considered manner. We are saying we will look at what the benefit is to Territory football, to Territory sportsmen and women and to the community overall.
I am a little concerned personally that this money will end up in the vaults of the airlines, because essentially a lot of it is for transporting players and finding them accommodation. We are also concerned about the other matters I’ve mentioned. Without making a judgment at this stage, there are a number of concerns that constituents have right across the Territory.
The Chief Minister and I will be meeting next week with Leigh Whicker, the CEO of the South Australian National Football League, along with senior representatives from the NTFL, to work out a position. But essentially they’re asking us to put money into something which is yet to be quantified. In the past we have said to them: ‘Go away, drum up private sector support for this bid and then tell us what exactly you want’. They have yet to tell us exactly what they want.
It is going to cost in the order of $1.3m to $1.5m to run this. The South Australians are putting in a substantial sum. The AFL are talking about putting in a substantial sum. They are interested in developing regional football across this country. I am concerned that we will be stuck with putting in a sum as yet undetermined. It could be upwards of $0.25m every year.
A member: Forever.
Mr LUGG: Forever. We really do not want to be unfair to Territory taxpayers and enter into a relationship like this until we know exactly what we are entering into.
Mr Ah Kit: You put $3m into the rifle range.
Mr LUGG: The member over there says just throw the money at it. Is that your alternative - just throw the money at it? I will pick up his interjection. That money we put into the Micket Creek rifle range and the pistol shooting complex is an enduring structure, a piece of sports infrastructure that develops all Territorians sport in that area. And we have produced a world champion and a world junior champion – that’s what you get for it.
I used to play against you at Aussie Rules when I was in the colts competition, but only when you got a game instead of being the water boy. But I digress.
Mr Ah Kit interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The minister will resume his seat, please. If the member for Arnhem makes a further outburst like that he will be out for an hour.
Mr LUGG: To sum up briefly, we are concerned about what effect this has on all Territory sport. We are keen, as we have always been keen, to promote the Territory and promote Territory sportsmen and women. We already fund the NTFL very generously and we don’t resile from that. We will continue to fund them. But we want to focus on what’s best for Territory football - not for Ansett and Qantas.
We have yet to hear all the arguments and know the amounts. We will make our decision in a considered way, not off-the-cuff, after extensive consultation. That’s the byword of this government - extensive public consultation.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016