Mr RIOLI - 1998-04-29
Yesterday's budget struck at the heart of sport and recreation by ripping $2.2m out of the participation and development program and slashing grants and subsidies by one-third. Can the minister provide us with a list of sporting groups, teams, associations and individuals who will be hit by these cuts? Will all existing recipients receive a one-third reduction in their funding, or will many simply be wiped out?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I must admit I lost track of the question towards the end, as also did the honourable member in asking the question, I think. There are a couple of points to be made here. For a start, there are no cuts and there are no reductions. Secondly, as the member would know only too well, the grants-in-aid applications are currently being considered. All applications were required to be in by the end of January. I assure the honourable member that sporting organisations will be catered for as well this time as on previous occasions. In addition, nearly $0.5m in extra funding has been put into council sporting facilities in Katherine. That puts paid to comments that the opposition has been making about no assistance being given there. The government will continue to provide to Territory sporting organisations the same first-class assistance that they have received in the past. We will maintain our per capita level of spending at more than 4 times the national average. Territorians will be well served by this sporting budget. To say otherwise, as the opposition spokesperson just has, paints an entirely incorrect picture.
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ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I must admit I lost track of the question towards the end, as also did the honourable member in asking the question, I think. There are a couple of points to be made here. For a start, there are no cuts and there are no reductions. Secondly, as the member would know only too well, the grants-in-aid applications are currently being considered. All applications were required to be in by the end of January. I assure the honourable member that sporting organisations will be catered for as well this time as on previous occasions. In addition, nearly $0.5m in extra funding has been put into council sporting facilities in Katherine. That puts paid to comments that the opposition has been making about no assistance being given there. The government will continue to provide to Territory sporting organisations the same first-class assistance that they have received in the past. We will maintain our per capita level of spending at more than 4 times the national average. Territorians will be well served by this sporting budget. To say otherwise, as the opposition spokesperson just has, paints an entirely incorrect picture.
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Last updated: 09 Aug 2016