Page 3481 - Week 11 - Thursday, 15 November 2007
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Dr Foskey: It is an inaccuracy.
MR SPEAKER: It is not a point of order.
DR FOSKEY: What, to be saying things that are false?
MR SPEAKER: It is not a point of order. It does not offend the standing orders. You cannot challenge something that is said in this discussion by way of a point of order.
MR STANHOPE: It is an uncomfortable truth that, on the basis of the position taken by Dr Foskey in this debate, that $20,000 provided by the CFMEU from the Tradies Club to the Greens should be directed immediately to Lifeline. I do not know that the Greens have any option, in the light of that particularly deeply hypocritical position put by the Greens, other than to direct that obviously seriously tainted money, which we hope will achieve some success for Ms Tucker, straight to Lifeline.
At the heart of the debate, really, is the nature of clubs and the purpose for which groups of people within the ACT community with a community of interest came together to form clubs. You need to have some understanding of the basis of the club industry, the nature of clubs, the purpose for which they were established and the commitment of those people that came together with a community of interest to form a club. They had the energy, the foresight and, in many cases, the personal commitment—at times at some personal risk in terms of resources and finances—to form clubs.
They do not just happen. You cannot just wave a wand and create a club. It requires individuals with a genuine commitment to their community to come together and decide, on the basis of that particular interest which they represent in a particular community—as one reflects on the nature of the club industry, that interest, more often than not, was an interest in sport—to form a club.
Just reflect on the nature of clubs throughout the territory. The Ainslie football club is a football club. Vikings is a football club. Wests is a football club. Is it surprising that a group of people who came together with a specific interest or a community of interest in sport created a club, at significant effort and energy and, in some instances, personal risk, and directed those funds into supporting their interest?
Running a football team is a reasonably expensive business. It is not surprising that the majority of the funds that are disbursed through community contributions by individual clubs go to support the particular interest for which the club was created. It is not surprising that the Tuggeranong Valley Vikings club provides millions of dollars to sport and sporting infrastructure, including the creation of grounds. It is not a bit surprising. It would be remarkable if it was otherwise. Is it surprising that the Ainslie football club spends its money in supporting Australian Rules? Is it surprising that that is what they do?
The bottom line is that our clubs are statutorily bound to provide seven per cent of turnover to the community. In fact, they provide 12 per cent, and have consistently provided 12 per cent. I think it is really stretching credence to suggest that it went up
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