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World Cup Soccer Bid

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Speakers - Burton Ms Cherie; Stoner Mr Andrew; Acting-Speaker (Mr John Mills); Tripodi Mr Joseph
Business - Matter of Public Importance


    WORLD CUP SOCCER BID
Page: 6691


    Matter of Public Importance

    Miss BURTON (Kogarah) [3.59 p.m.]: I ask the House to note as a matter of public importance the community support for the Soccer World Cup 2014 bid. The Sydney Olympics confirmed that we can hold great events. We have an international reputation of doing it better than anybody else. That is why on Sunday 4 August the Premier stood on the steps of the Sydney Opera House with FIFA President Mr Sepp Blatter, Victoria's Acting Premier John Thwaites and the Chairman of Soccer Australia, Ian Knop, to announce Australia's intention to bid for the world's biggest single sporting event—the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

    Two days later Steve Bracks and the Premier set up an intergovernmental working party to work towards establishing a national bid committee—a committee that has the full support of all State Premiers and Chief Ministers. New South Wales and Victorian officials will meet this month to start gathering information for the Australian bid. Meetings will also take place in South Australia. Victorian and New South Wales officials have already started work on collecting information Australia already holds and information it will need to bid for a football World Cup, learning from past World Cup hosts like Korea, Japan and France, developing a list of key people needed to move the bid forward, and developing a tactical approach for an effective bid. They are also looking at the full cost of staging the tournament, the budget for an official bid committee and the economic benefits to the Australian economy. But we do not need the precise dollar figure to know those benefits will be immense.

    It has been rightly pointed out that Soccer Australia needs to become stronger, and the organisation is being reformed. We need to do even more to develop our elite players. That is why the State Government set up the Premier's Soccer Task Force to look at how we can improve elite soccer in this State, and appointed Mr Johnny Warren as the Premier's special adviser on soccer development. The task force is chaired by Johnny Warren, who will meet with soccer clubs, players, coaches and managers across the State. A soccer summit held recently in Wollongong attracted more than 50 representatives of the Illawarra's 10,000 registered soccer players. The task force report will be finalised by the end of November. This Government is planning ahead to ensure that we have the best possible team playing in the Australian World Cup in 2014.

    Interest in the bid is enormous. The Premier is often stopped by people on the street, in shops and at the airport asking about the World Cup bid and urging us to stick with it. The honourable member for Miranda—himself a member of the local over-35s team, the Miranda Magpies—says the 13,120 registered soccer players in the Sutherland shire are 100 per cent behind the bid. The honourable member for Oxley should take note, so he can repeat this in his speech. The World Cup petition we have circulated is being signed by thousands of people. I am even aware that Mr Simon Aronov, the owner of the Premier's local pizza shop, Papa Pan Gourmet Pizza on Malabar Road, is constantly handing the Premier completed petitions. These local families clearly know a bit more about soccer than the Leader of the Opposition. Interviewed by the Illawarra Mercury on Saturday 26 October, he enjoyed this exchange:
        Question:

        Can you name a radio station, or a sporting team?

        Answer:

        A sporting team? It's got a very strong soccer team, hasn't it?

        Question:

        Yes, can you name that team?

        Answer:

        No, I can't. The Cosmos? It's the Cosmos isn't it?

        No John, that's the Greek word for space.
    Anyway, he struggled on, prompted by his media adviser. That takes us back to the grand old days of that other outstanding Opposition staffer, Luke Walsh. I might add, Mr Walsh's instincts concerning the loyalty of the honourable member for Pittwater to his then leader was absolutely spot-on. But here is her successor struggling to name the Wollongong soccer team, being prompted by a none-too-subtle stage whisper:
        The what? Is it Wolves, is it? Oh, the Wollongong Wolves, yes. Not that I'm a soccer fan—I could barely name the Northern Spirit! I don't pretend to be a soccer fan.

    One of the most disappointing aspects of our bid has been the can't-do attitude that marred our announcement on 4 August. Prime suspects were an unenthusiastic Federal Government and a very cynical Nicholas Frank Greiner. The headline in the following day's Australian said it all: "Greiner pours scorn on bid for World Cup". Not far behind was the Leader of the Opposition—but with a twist. At 9 o'clock that morning on radio station 2GB he said:

        … in offering bipartisan support I also offer the suggestion that there be bipartisan involvement in the process … that the people of New South Wales know this bid is above politics … and both sides of politics are involved in the bid.
    That was the bipartisan support this bid needs. But it melted away—much like a Bronwyn Bishop for Prime Minister campaign. The Leader of the Opposition may not know that Marconi invented the medium only 80 years ago, and, of course, one of the nation's finest soccer clubs, based in Fairfield, is named in honour of that great Italian scientist. The Leader of the Opposition may not know that anyone can listen to radio. Two days later we heard the Leader of the Opposition dumping on the World Cup bid. He told Phillip Clark on 2GB:
        This was a pretty cynical stunt—not a lot more than a political stunt.

    Normally we might call that a Brogden backflip, but I would refer to it as a triple backflip with pike. This manoeuvre involves holding your own opinion at 9.00 a.m.—a very sound opinion, I might add—having a subsequent phone conversation with your puppet master, Nick Greiner, and completely changing your tune in time for your next interview. How stupid does he think the people of New South Wales are? I am a huge soccer fan—I have followed it all my life. Until I came into Parliament I was a midfielder for Kingsgrove Olympic. I went to Melbourne to watch Australia play Iran for the 1998 World Cup campaign. The Melbourne Cricket Ground was filled to capacity, 100,000 fans, of which 95,000 were barracking for Australia.

    I cannot begin to express the pride I felt for our country when I saw 95,000 people—from all different backgrounds supporting all different clubs—come together with their Aussie strips and face paint, singing Aussie chants. It was a great day for Australian soccer. I cannot impress upon this House strongly enough what an amazing boost it would be to Australian soccer to have the 2014 World Cup in Australia. Think what it would do for the development of our sport. It would firmly entrench us on the world stage.

    Mr Stoner: You have kicked an own goal.

    Miss BURTON: The honourable member for Oxley is the Escobar of New South Wales Parliament. If I were him I would be really quiet. With the exception of netball, soccer is the most played sport in this country. We all saw the impact the Olympics had on all Sydneysiders. To have that feeling again, to be the centre of the world again, is reason enough for this bid to be a serious bid and one we must strive to win. I call on the Federal Government, Nick Greiner and the Opposition to come on board. We all know that the only reason members of the Opposition do not support this bid and make fun of the people of New South Wales and Australia—all the 200,000 registered soccer players in this State who were desperately like to have the World Cup Here in 2014—is that they did not initiate it—even though they have their mates on the board of Northern Spirit. We now have an opportunity to host one of the world's biggest sporting events and to promote one of the most played sports in this country. We should all get behind the bid.

    Mr STONER (Oxley) [4.08 p.m.]: As I stated during question time, this matter was debated by way of an urgent motion in this Chamber on 4 September.

    Mr Hazzard: What about the netball dinner?

    Mr STONER: I am going to the netball dinner tomorrow night.

    Mr Hazzard: None of their colleagues are.

    Mr STONER: No, they very rarely attend sporting functions. While the Opposition supports the bid for Australia to host the Soccer World Cup—

    Miss Burton: You do not.

    Mr STONER: I have said it again and again—this is about the tenth time. It is on the public record that the Opposition supports Australia's bid to host the soccer World Cup. This matter was recently debated in the Chamber. The event is 12 years away and right now New South Wales faces the pressing issues of drought and the risk of bushfires. I cannot reconcile Labor's priorities in debates on matters of public importance. Perhaps the honourable member for Kogarah, who is worried about her re-election prospects, is seeking to score points with her local soccer fraternity. Mr Speaker has ruled that this matter can again be debated, so we will have to deal with the same issues again. Perhaps Government members did not understand it the first time.

    Mr ACTING-SPEAKER (Mr Mills): Order! The honourable member for Fairfield and the honourable member for Kogarah will cease interjecting. They will both have an opportunity to make further contributions to the debate.
    Mr STONER: I will say it over and over and eventually the dreadful duo opposite might start to understand and it will sink into their grey matter. I will go through some of the issues again. Perhaps the constituents of the honourable member for Kogarah will regard this exercise as abuse of the conventions of the Parliament and her strategy will backfire.

    Miss Burton: Point of order: This matter of public importance is about support for the soccer community. Three minutes into his speech the honourable member for Oxley has said nothing about the subject matter of the debate. He has spoken about all sorts of other things.

    Mr ACTING-SPEAKER: Order! I will listen carefully to the contribution of the honourable member for Oxley. At this stage he is in order.

    Mr STONER: A couple of months ago I said that the Opposition gave strong and unconditional support to a soccer World Cup bid, which would be in keeping with our peerless reputation as host of the world's biggest and best sporting events. That support gained strong impetus from the former Coalition Government's successful bid for the 2000 Sydney Olympic and Paralympic Games. I also said that the Carr Labor Government had announced a bid for the 2014 soccer World Cup without even talking to the Australian Sports Commission or the Prime Minister, despite the fact that any bid must necessarily be a national one facilitated by the Federal Government. I said then, as I say now, that this announcement, which was made in the Sunday morning papers, smacked of a publicity stunt rather than a unified, well-reasoned attempt to attract this hugely significant event to our shores. From memory, it was around this time in my speech that the honourable member for Kogarah began to rudely interject and hurl personal insults at me, sadly demonstrating her lack of debating skills, not to mention manners. I know what "moron" means, but what is a "nooner"?

    Miss Burton: Somebody who gets up in the afternoon and misses the boat.

    Mr STONER: Thank you. Again on 4 September I stated that the Labor Party, in its pursuit of a headline, had gotten ahead of itself, not to mention senior representatives of soccer in this country. The day after the announcement in the Sunday papers, the Prime Minister said:
        And Mr Blatter has made it very plain to me this morning that FIFA's not interested in bids that don't have the full involvement of the national government. So my advice to Bob Carr and Steve Bracks is that if you're serious let's help Soccer Australia get its act together and when that occurs then let all of us sit down and work out how best we can promote Soccer Australia as a potential host at some time in the future for an event of this magnitude.

    There the Prime Minister indicated his support for this event. However, he also indicated that the normal protocol should be followed, that is, the key stakeholders, including Soccer Australia and the Federal Government, should work together. The Chairman of Soccer Australia, Mr Ian Knop, said:
        Soccer Australia will only participate in future bids for the FIFA Confederations Cup and World Cup if they are endorsed and supported by the Australian Sports Commission and the Federal Government.

        However, since I became Chairman, I have sought to involve the Australian Sports Commission in our game, and they and the Federal Government must be part of any future bidding process.

        The Federal Government and the Australian Sports Commission have been extremely supportive of Soccer Australia in recent times and we are planning many new initiatives in co-operation with them.

    Mr Tripodi: That is the Premier's press release.

    Mr STONER: No, it is not. It is clear that the Federal Government supports the event, but it supports a unified, well-reasoned bid free from party politics. Clearly, the sport of soccer in Australia was not quite ready for such an announcement. The Opposition has no doubt that there is a high level of community support for a soccer World Cup bid.

    Miss Burton: I just said that. You got that from my speech.

    Mr STONER: I wrote this speech long before the honourable member for Kogarah spoke. The strong community support is a reflection of the fact that there are more than 200,000 registered soccer players in New South Wales. They include my son Beau, who is a terrific soccer player. Incidentally, it is Beau's 15th birthday today. Happy birthday, Beau. If the bid is to be successful it must be unified and co-ordinated, it must involve all stakeholders and it must be free from political point scoring.

    Mr TRIPODI (Fairfield) [4.16 p.m.]: We have heard of Spiderman and Batman. Now we have the Copycat Man. Every speech that the honourable member for Oxley has made in this House on this matter has been copied straight off the press releases from the Premier's office. It is obvious that he knows little about the matter. Clearly, he is not interested at all in soccer. He spoke more about netball than about soccer, but this matter of public importance is about the bid for the soccer World Cup and the community support and momentum that is building up towards preparing for the bid. On 4 September I joined the honourable member for Kogarah and the honourable member for Miranda in speaking to an urgent motion in support of Australia's bid for the 2014 World Cup. During the debate the honourable member for Oxley, who apparently is the shadow Minister for Sport, made an interesting contribution. During his speech, which commenced at 3.58 p.m., he said that the performance of Australian players was improving. That is an acceptable comment, though a touch demeaning. He then rattled off the names of a few Australian players who have hit the big time overseas. He said:
        The level of performance of Australian players is improving, with international players like Harry Kewell, Mark Bosnich, Mark Viduka, Paul Okon, Brett Emerton, Hayden Foxe, Lucas Neill, Marco Bresciano and more than 100 Australians playing in some of the world's best leagues in Spain, England, Italy, Germany, France and the Netherlands.

    I was sure I had heard that exact list of players before, and I was right. Those words appeared in a press release by the Premier exactly a month earlier to announce the establishment of a soccer task force. The Premier's release read:
        Leading Socceroos including: Captain Paul Okon, Harry Kewell, Brett Emerton, Hayden Foxe, Lucas Neill, Mark Bosnich are all NSW products.

        At present over 100 Australians are playing in some of the world's best leagues, in countries like Spain, England, Italy, Germany, France and the Netherlands.

    That speech by the honourable member for Oxley was an own goal. It is plagiarism, an exact copy. That is why we call him the Copycat Man. I was about to give him credit for mentioning Australia's most promising player, Marco Bresciano. He was not on the Premier's list, but then I read the final paragraph of the Premier's release, which stated:
        Just last month, 22-year-old Australian midfielder, Marco Bresciano joined Italian Serie A side Parma on a transfer deal worth over A$22 million.

    One would think that a shadow Minister would be sufficiently on top of his portfolio to be able to speak for five minutes without having to resort to lifting material from the Premier's press release, which was a good one. After all, New South Wales is the home of soccer in Australia, having more than 200,000 registered players. It did not stop there. During the 4 September debate, the honourable member for Oxley also stated:
        The Australian World Cup side has done particularly well, especially in 1998, as have the Australian youth teams. I instance the performance of some of those sides. In the under-17 world championships the Australian side were runners-up in 1999 and quarterfinalists in 1991, 1993 and 1995. In the world youth under-20 championship, the Australian team were semifinalists in 1991 and 1993 and quarterfinalists in 1995, and in the under-23 Olympic tournament at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics the Australian side were semifinalists. Australia is well and truly up there on the international stage with its soccer performances.
    That indicates some insightful and studious research. As the Premier likes to say, it is full of killer facts. I am sure this is what an Opposition leader wants from his team. Unfortunately, once again someone else did the legwork. It was not an Opposition staffer—although there seems to be plenty of them around—it was none other than the Premier of New South Wales. Once again, the Soccer Task Force release of 4 August was almost the only source of the speech of the honourable member for Oxley. The release stated:
        Over the last decade, Australian youth teams have achieved some fantastic results on the international stage including:

        FIFA Under 17 World Championships
    • Runners-up in 1994 - beaten on penalties by Brazil;
    • Quarter-Finalists in 1991, 1993 and 1995;
        FIFA World Youth (under-20) Championships
    • Semi-Finalists in 1991 and 1993
    • Quarter finalists in 1995;

    The speech of the honourable member for Oxley is exactly the same as the press release. He is Copycat Man. If anyone wants evidence that the Opposition does not care about the 2004 World Cup bid, this is it.

    Miss BURTON (Kogarah) [4.21 p.m.], in reply: I thank the member for Fairfield for his support. The performance of the honourable member for Oxley was not a contribution to this debate, and that saddens me. A "nooner" is someone who has wet hair at 2.00 p.m. because he got out of bed at noon. The honourable member drew attention to the fact that he was not included in the announcement about the bid. The announcement was made on a boat that left the jetty at noon. There was no way he could have arrived in time to be part of the event because he was just getting out of bed.

    I cannot understand why members opposite are so opposed to the bid. Puppet master Nick Greiner contacted the Leader of the Opposition and told him that the Liberal Party would not support the bid because it was not Greiner's idea—and he is Mr Soccer. Two days later he was heard on the radio withdrawing his bipartisan support for the bid. Members opposite are now doing a backflip and saying they did not support the bid because the Federal Government was not involved in the process. That is not true. The honourable member for Oxley would not know because he was thinking about netball and sleeping in. The Federal Government does not support the bid. This motion urges members to support the bid for the benefit of the people of New South Wales and Australia.

    Members opposite cannot claim that they support the bid but then say that we must go through a process. That is garbage. It is an attempt by the honourable member for Oxley to get his side out of deep water because the Liberal Party has missed the public opinion boat. Members opposite do not understand anything about soccer. The Leader of the Opposition has said that he has no idea about it. There are 200,000 registered players in New South Wales; it is the second biggest sport behind netball in this country. Members opposite are playing politics and interfering with a vital bid and an important event for Australian soccer. Holding this event would put us on the world stage. I urge the Federal Government and the State Opposition to get on board. They should not keep spouting rhetoric about going through a process. Let us get the bid going and win the nomination to hold the 2004 World Cup tournament in Australia.

    Discussion concluded.


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