❓ Mr. Watson questions the Minister about financial commitments to the West Australian Football Commission (WAFC) related to the new Perth Stadium, ensuring football is not disadvantaged. The Minister avoids a direct financial commitment figure, highlighting the stadium itself as the major investment.
AnsweredQoN 691Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PERTH STADIUM — WEST AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL
COMMISSION
691. Mr P.B. WATSON to the Minister for
Sport and Recreation:
Minister, I refer to the commitment
given by the previous Minister for Sport and Recreation that football would be
no worse off under the new stadium arrangements.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Members!
Mr P.B. WATSON :
Are you going to call him to order, Mr Speaker?
Several members interjected.
Mr P.B. WATSON : I
will start again.
The SPEAKER : Start
again, member for Albany.
Minster—the current minister—I refer to the
commitment given by the previous Minister for Sport and Recreation that
football would be no worse off under the new stadium arrangements.
(1) Can the minister confirm that this is still the position
of the state government?
(2) Can the
minister outline what financial commitment the state has given to football to
fund this commitment?
COMMISSION
691. Mr P.B. WATSON to the Minister for
Sport and Recreation:
Minister, I refer to the commitment
given by the previous Minister for Sport and Recreation that football would be
no worse off under the new stadium arrangements.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Members!
Mr P.B. WATSON :
Are you going to call him to order, Mr Speaker?
Several members interjected.
Mr P.B. WATSON : I
will start again.
The SPEAKER : Start
again, member for Albany.
Minster—the current minister—I refer to the
commitment given by the previous Minister for Sport and Recreation that
football would be no worse off under the new stadium arrangements.
(1) Can the minister confirm that this is still the position
of the state government?
(2) Can the
minister outline what financial commitment the state has given to football to
fund this commitment?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2)
I will start with the second part of the question: what financial commitment
have we given to football to make sure that it has a strong future ahead? We
are building a new stadium—1.2 billion of taxpayers' dollars is
going into building a new home for football here in Western Australia!
Several
members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Members! Do not get too excited, member for Belmont; sit down,
please. The Hansard reporter cannot hear.
Ms
M.J. DAVIES : I will speak louder, Mr Speaker.
The
SPEAKER : Thank you.
Ms
M.J. DAVIES : We are building—I am not sure whether members have
noticed; the Premier and I were out there this morning—a fantastic
stadium on the Burswood Peninsula: $1.2 billion, 60 000 seats, a fan-first
experience. The West Australian Football Commission and its two Australian
Football League clubs will have the fantastic opportunity to sell better
product, including better corporate product, and attract more members. It will
be an absolutely fantastic outcome for football, and would we not like to have
it for this weekend and next weekend running into the finals! Would we not like
that!
We have been working very closely
with the West Australian Football Commission and its partners to make sure that
we get a good outcome for them going forward. It is not in the state's
interests not to get a good outcome for football. The negotiations have been
robust, and we continue to progress those conversations. Members would have
seen last week that there were discussions around cricket and the decision to
move some of their product across to the new stadium, and we welcome that.
There is a strong future for cricket at the new stadium as well. The message
that I would like to leave is that we have been having ongoing discussions with
the football commission and its partners. Those negotiations have been robust,
as we would expect. It is not in the best interests of the state to have
football not flying. We absolutely want them to excel, and that is what we have
been working towards.
I will start with the second part of the question: what financial commitment
have we given to football to make sure that it has a strong future ahead? We
are building a new stadium—1.2 billion of taxpayers' dollars is
going into building a new home for football here in Western Australia!
Several
members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Members! Do not get too excited, member for Belmont; sit down,
please. The Hansard reporter cannot hear.
Ms
M.J. DAVIES : I will speak louder, Mr Speaker.
The
SPEAKER : Thank you.
Ms
M.J. DAVIES : We are building—I am not sure whether members have
noticed; the Premier and I were out there this morning—a fantastic
stadium on the Burswood Peninsula: $1.2 billion, 60 000 seats, a fan-first
experience. The West Australian Football Commission and its two Australian
Football League clubs will have the fantastic opportunity to sell better
product, including better corporate product, and attract more members. It will
be an absolutely fantastic outcome for football, and would we not like to have
it for this weekend and next weekend running into the finals! Would we not like
that!
We have been working very closely
with the West Australian Football Commission and its partners to make sure that
we get a good outcome for them going forward. It is not in the state's
interests not to get a good outcome for football. The negotiations have been
robust, and we continue to progress those conversations. Members would have
seen last week that there were discussions around cricket and the decision to
move some of their product across to the new stadium, and we welcome that.
There is a strong future for cricket at the new stadium as well. The message
that I would like to leave is that we have been having ongoing discussions with
the football commission and its partners. Those negotiations have been robust,
as we would expect. It is not in the best interests of the state to have
football not flying. We absolutely want them to excel, and that is what we have
been working towards.
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