❓ Perth Bears—National Rugby League 585. Mr Peter Rundle to the Premier: I refer to the government's commitment of nearly $100 million of WA taxpayers' money to establish Roger's rugby team, otherwise k
AnsweredQoN 585Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Perth Bears—National Rugby League
585. Mr Peter Rundle to
the Premier:
I refer to the
government's commitment of nearly $100 million of WA taxpayers' money to
establish Roger's rugby team, otherwise known as the Perth Bears. Can the
Premier explain to Western Australians why this should be a funding priority at
a time when families and services across the state are under pressure?
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members! The Premier has the call.
585. Mr Peter Rundle to
the Premier:
I refer to the
government's commitment of nearly $100 million of WA taxpayers' money to
establish Roger's rugby team, otherwise known as the Perth Bears. Can the
Premier explain to Western Australians why this should be a funding priority at
a time when families and services across the state are under pressure?
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members! The Premier has the call.
AnswerView source ↗
I do not understand why those opposite are so anti–Western
Australia. Who would want to talk down one of our local sports teams? Who
would want to actually barrack for the opposition on the east coast? Why don't those
opposite want to get on board and support another great Western Australian
team? Why are they so anti–Western Australia? That is the question we
want to ask. Of course, we made a very clear commitment with regard to the
Perth Bears. As part of the arrangement for Western Australia to become part of
another national sporting code competition, we made some initial investments that
were about investing in local community sporting infrastructure and local
sports. As I said at the time of the announcement, not a single dollar of
taxpayers' money will go to the other side of the country; it is all here for
Western Australians. It is all here to make sure that we have another great
sports team that we can support. It is consistent with other approaches we have
taken to ensure that we can continue to boost sport in Western Australia.
I refer to the press
release that we made back in May 2025, when I said:
The club will also
benefit from several community sports infrastructure projects funded separately
by the WA Government, including a new high-performance centre to be shared by
rugby league and rugby union in Malaga.
We are actually
doing better than that. We have provided an opportunity to develop some interim
sporting infrastructure by virtue of providing funding to the WA Cricket
Association for its facility in East Perth. That will be an important upgrade. We
know that those opposite are constantly fighting against the WACA and opposing
any redevelopment of the WACA ground, but we think this is a great way that we
can provide some community sporting infrastructure for the Perth Bears in the
interim and obviously for other sporting teams as well, and particularly
sporting teams that visit Western Australia and need a facility to train and
base themselves at in the lead-up to an important sporting competition. This is
great sports infrastructure. I want to commend the minister—
Mr Basil Zempilas interjected.
The Speaker: Leader of the Opposition, your
interjections are disorderly; please stop.
Mr Roger Cook: I want to commend the Minister for
Sport and Recreation and Deputy Premier for the work she and her team have done
to ensure that we have another great sports team to support. We do this stuff
all the time; we support codes to ensure that they can continue to thrive and
Western Australians can continue to be proud. At the moment, we are negotiating
a new WA Football agreement, which was worth around $13 million a year last
time. The question has to be asked of the member: Does he support further
assistance for WA Football and should we continue with the agreement, or does
he say, by virtue of the implication of his question, that we should take that
away from football as well? Is that what he is saying?
Several members
interjected.
Mr Roger Cook: Again, we do not know where the other
side stands on anything. They flip and they flop. They want it both ways. They
simply say the next thing that comes into their heads.
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members of the opposition!
Mr Lachlan Hunter interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Central Wheatbelt, your
interjections are disorderly; please stop it.
Mr Roger Cook: Quite frankly, Mr Speaker, this mob
cannot be taken seriously.
Mr Lachlan Hunter interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Central Wheatbelt, I am
calling you for the first time. There was no need for that.
Mr Roger Cook: They cannot be taken seriously. We do
not know what they stand for. One week they say we should spend this on health
and the next week they say we should spend this on—
Mr Basil Zempilas interjected.
The Speaker: Leader of the Opposition! Thank you,
Premier.
Mr Roger Cook: One minute they say we should spend
this money on this thing and then next week they say, "Oh no, not on that;
you should spend it on this." What are they going to say next week?
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members of the opposition, you are making
it extremely difficult for the Premier to conclude his remarks. We still have a
supplementary to go.
Mr Roger Cook: Really? I have still got a supp?
The Speaker: Yes.
Mr Roger Cook: You
beauty!
We cannot take these
guys seriously; we really cannot. Quite frankly, they flip, they flop and they
want it both ways. They want to spend money on this thing today and then they
take that money and want to spend it on something completely different the next.
Several members
interjected.
Point of order
Mr David Michael: Mr Speaker, the opposition leader
has continued to interject when the Premier has been on his feet for a couple
of questions now. I ask you to call him to order.
The Speaker: Thank you. I shall not be upholding that
point of order, but I have already warned the opposition that their
interjections are disorderly and there are far too many of them. It will have
an impact on my decision about how long question time goes for.
Questions without notice resumed
Mr Roger Cook: I am happy to join the member for Roe after
question time, when he can clarify to me and the media whether he supports $13 million
going to WA Football as part of the WA Football agreement. Does he support WA taxpayers'
money going towards that? That is the question for him, because, by virtue of
his question, he was essentially saying that he wants to take that money away,
and he will probably spend that on something new like the convention centre as
well.
Australia. Who would want to talk down one of our local sports teams? Who
would want to actually barrack for the opposition on the east coast? Why don't those
opposite want to get on board and support another great Western Australian
team? Why are they so anti–Western Australia? That is the question we
want to ask. Of course, we made a very clear commitment with regard to the
Perth Bears. As part of the arrangement for Western Australia to become part of
another national sporting code competition, we made some initial investments that
were about investing in local community sporting infrastructure and local
sports. As I said at the time of the announcement, not a single dollar of
taxpayers' money will go to the other side of the country; it is all here for
Western Australians. It is all here to make sure that we have another great
sports team that we can support. It is consistent with other approaches we have
taken to ensure that we can continue to boost sport in Western Australia.
I refer to the press
release that we made back in May 2025, when I said:
The club will also
benefit from several community sports infrastructure projects funded separately
by the WA Government, including a new high-performance centre to be shared by
rugby league and rugby union in Malaga.
We are actually
doing better than that. We have provided an opportunity to develop some interim
sporting infrastructure by virtue of providing funding to the WA Cricket
Association for its facility in East Perth. That will be an important upgrade. We
know that those opposite are constantly fighting against the WACA and opposing
any redevelopment of the WACA ground, but we think this is a great way that we
can provide some community sporting infrastructure for the Perth Bears in the
interim and obviously for other sporting teams as well, and particularly
sporting teams that visit Western Australia and need a facility to train and
base themselves at in the lead-up to an important sporting competition. This is
great sports infrastructure. I want to commend the minister—
Mr Basil Zempilas interjected.
The Speaker: Leader of the Opposition, your
interjections are disorderly; please stop.
Mr Roger Cook: I want to commend the Minister for
Sport and Recreation and Deputy Premier for the work she and her team have done
to ensure that we have another great sports team to support. We do this stuff
all the time; we support codes to ensure that they can continue to thrive and
Western Australians can continue to be proud. At the moment, we are negotiating
a new WA Football agreement, which was worth around $13 million a year last
time. The question has to be asked of the member: Does he support further
assistance for WA Football and should we continue with the agreement, or does
he say, by virtue of the implication of his question, that we should take that
away from football as well? Is that what he is saying?
Several members
interjected.
Mr Roger Cook: Again, we do not know where the other
side stands on anything. They flip and they flop. They want it both ways. They
simply say the next thing that comes into their heads.
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members of the opposition!
Mr Lachlan Hunter interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Central Wheatbelt, your
interjections are disorderly; please stop it.
Mr Roger Cook: Quite frankly, Mr Speaker, this mob
cannot be taken seriously.
Mr Lachlan Hunter interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Central Wheatbelt, I am
calling you for the first time. There was no need for that.
Mr Roger Cook: They cannot be taken seriously. We do
not know what they stand for. One week they say we should spend this on health
and the next week they say we should spend this on—
Mr Basil Zempilas interjected.
The Speaker: Leader of the Opposition! Thank you,
Premier.
Mr Roger Cook: One minute they say we should spend
this money on this thing and then next week they say, "Oh no, not on that;
you should spend it on this." What are they going to say next week?
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members of the opposition, you are making
it extremely difficult for the Premier to conclude his remarks. We still have a
supplementary to go.
Mr Roger Cook: Really? I have still got a supp?
The Speaker: Yes.
Mr Roger Cook: You
beauty!
We cannot take these
guys seriously; we really cannot. Quite frankly, they flip, they flop and they
want it both ways. They want to spend money on this thing today and then they
take that money and want to spend it on something completely different the next.
Several members
interjected.
Point of order
Mr David Michael: Mr Speaker, the opposition leader
has continued to interject when the Premier has been on his feet for a couple
of questions now. I ask you to call him to order.
The Speaker: Thank you. I shall not be upholding that
point of order, but I have already warned the opposition that their
interjections are disorderly and there are far too many of them. It will have
an impact on my decision about how long question time goes for.
Questions without notice resumed
Mr Roger Cook: I am happy to join the member for Roe after
question time, when he can clarify to me and the media whether he supports $13 million
going to WA Football as part of the WA Football agreement. Does he support WA taxpayers'
money going towards that? That is the question for him, because, by virtue of
his question, he was essentially saying that he wants to take that money away,
and he will probably spend that on something new like the convention centre as
well.
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