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- 11 May 2004
Central Coast National Rugby League Team
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Urgent Motion
Mr GRANT McBRIDE (The Entrance—Minister for Gaming and Racing) [3.33 p.m.]: I move:
That this House supports the inclusion of a Central Coast based team in the National Rugby League competition.
A National Rugby League [NRL] team based on the Central Coast would be a great opportunity for the region to develop a local NRL franchise; it would be great for locals, for tourism and for business, both big and small. Not only will local fans have an opportunity to see games played at the best regional stadium in Australia, but local business will have an opportunity to share in the success. Last year's success of the Rugby World Cup at the Central Coast Express Advocate Stadium put our region in the world's spotlight, and we are still seeing the benefits to local jobs and business opportunities. With our own team in the NRL that success will be repeated every second week. I join the Premier, my Central Coast Labor and Coalition colleagues, and the Central Coast community in calling for the NRL to recognise the groundswell of support that our region has for its own team.
Mr Barry O'Farrell: What did you do to the Bears?
Mr GRANT McBRIDE: Wait and listen. Last month the Premier wrote a letter to John Singleton, who is leading the push for a Central Coast team, which stated:
It's time for the Central Coast to take its rightful place in the world's most elite rugby league competition.
The Central Coast has all the critical infrastructure in place: it has a great stadium, the support base and the business plan to make a local team a success. Regarding infrastructure, the Central Coast stadium is rightfully known as one of the best regional stadiums in Australia. The stadium has proven itself time and again, including on the world's stage at last year's Rugby World Cup, last Friday night when we witnessed Country edge ahead of City in front of a great Central Coast crowd, in 2001 when Australia A defeated the British Lions, and at many other community and sporting events. In 2000 about 25,000 people attended the Olympic torch festivities at the stadium, with hundreds of local school students taking part. It was a personal highlight and demonstrated that the stadium has become a focal point for the Central Coast community.
Through the Olympic torch festivities at the stadium, and with local performers, the Central Coast showed it was capable of staging a world-class celebration. The event was organised by the Central Coast for the Central Coast. That event has been acknowledged as Australia's best non-metropolitan event associated with the Olympic torch relay. We would not have had an opportunity to host a celebration of that magnitude without the stadium. The premier NRL magazine, Big League, referred to the stadium as "the most intimate, spectacular, and high-tech venue in the NRL". The Daily Telegraph stated that the stadium is "considered one of the best viewing regional grounds in Australia". No-one who has visited that great facility would disagree. That view is shared in this House by the honourable member for Lachlan, the former Leader of the National Party and sports fan emeritus. The stadium overlooks Brisbane Water. Few stadiums in Australia, or even the world, could match the views it provides for television cameras.
Since the stadium's opening in February 2000 it has played host to more than half a million visitors. It was funded jointly by the State and Federal governments and Gosford City Council. The State and Federal governments each contributed $12.5 million and Gosford council contributed more than $4 million. The Central Coast Leagues Club and North Sydney Football Club contributed to the $32 million stadium, which was constructed on the basis of both the Super League and the Australian Rugby League incorporating a future Central Coast team in their business plan. When the two leagues were merged into the NRL, it was written into the business plan that the Central Coast was the location for a future team. The business plan recognised the value of the Central Coast fans to the future of rugby league, and that is why the North Sydney Bears decided to move from North Sydney Oval to what was then called Grahame Park, at Gosford. The Bears had a commitment that there would be a team at the Central Coast, and that was part of the business plan for rugby league at all levels.
It was originally intended that the stadium would be used as a home ground for the North Sydney Bears, but that was not to be. Instead, it was used as a joint home ground by the Northern Eagles. The marriage of the long-term rivals, the Bears and Manly, lasted two seasons before the Bears headed back to North Sydney Oval and first division, and the Sea Eagles headed back to Brookvale. The management of the Northern Eagles dropped the ball. In hindsight, it was always a marriage doomed to failure. That the management of the Northern Eagles fell over was no fault of the Central Coast. The average attendance figures at Northern Eagles matches for the first two years was between 15,000 and 16,000. The Brookvale attendance figures during that time were much lower. If Manly had chosen to maintain a commitment to the loyal league fans of the Central Coast, the attendance figures certainly suggested that the Central Coast was willing to support a team.
Fans at other league matches have shown the passion that the Central Coast fans have for the game. When Souths and Wests Tigers met in a trial game this season—a pre-season game—more than 10,000 fans attended. For those who are interested, I should mention that Souths won the game. On Friday night Country took on City at the stadium and 15,310 fans showed up to support local footy. Of course, Country beat City. Next Saturday Souths and the Cowboys will be playing at Central Coast stadium. I encourage all members to go along for what will be a great match at a great stadium. It would be a tragedy if NRL politics again disappointed loyal Central Coast fans. The NRL should not ignore its huge Central Coast league support base. For the health of the game the Central Coast should have its own team. We love our football on the Central Coast, from juniors through to the 2003 Jim Beam Cup Premiers, and to The Entrance Tigers in my electorate.
I am pleased to tell the House that The Entrance Tigers remain undefeated in this year's competition. The Central Coast is definitely a football town. The Central Coast, as an NRL franchise area, would be the fifth largest behind only Brisbane, Penrith, Melbourne and West Tigers. No other area of New South Wales of comparable size is without its NRL team. The support base for a Central Coast team is evident in the 31 local rugby league football clubs, 4,125 registered players and the kids at most of the 90 schools in the region who play rugby league. The Central Coast has over 3,200 junior rugby league players.
We have the third largest junior competition in the game, behind only Parramatta and Penrith. I understand that the honourable member for Gosford is a Parramatta supporter, as I am. The Rugby World Cup games were a huge success for local residents and local businesses. Imagine if that success were repeated every second weekend as the Central Coast Bears took the field at Central Coast stadium. Sports development on the coast would also get a boost if a local team was part of our community, visited local schools, inspired the sports stars of tomorrow—as we witnessed with Country and City prior to the game last Friday—moved around in our local community, promoted sport and provided leadership and opportunities to young people that they would not otherwise have had.
Recently the Premier visited the Central Coast to announce a major injection of funds into the new Central Coast Academy of Sport. The Premier announced an amount of $380,000 in funding, exceeding the commitment that was announced prior to the 2003 election. One of the driving forces behind setting up an academy was to ensure that local kids and local talent were not forced to travel to Sydney, Newcastle or beyond to further their sporting careers and interests. Our team would stop the drain of local talent to Sydney, Newcastle and interstate. The Central Coast bid team has already stated its commitment to a youth development strategy and a player development program.
There is a wealth of football talent on the Central Coast. A Central Coast NRL team would give young local kids the hope that one day they could represent their region at the highest level of rugby league. Many league greats have grown up in that area and have played with local Central Coast teams. It would be great if those players could play for their own region in the national competition. Current first-grade players who have come from or who have played for Central Coast teams include Paul Stringer, who is now playing for South Sydney; Mark O'Meally, who is now playing for Canterbury Bulldogs; Matt Alford, the Melbourne Storm halfback; Ryan O'Hara, a standout new player for Canberra Raiders; Glen Morrison from North Queensland Cowboys, who we saw on the Central Coast on Friday night; Danny Williams, Melbourne Storm; Robbie Ross, Melbourne Storm; Ian Henderson, Easts; Brett Kearney, South Sydney; and Chris Heightington, Wests Tigers.
Former players from the Central Coast include, among many, Graham Eadie, David Fairleigh, John Moanie, Perry Haddock, Steve McKenzie and Peter Louis. I hope that the Paul Stringers, John Moanies and Ryan O'Haras of the future get a chance to play for their home towns. It would be a slap in the face to our local juniors if NRL politics, once again, denied them that chance. Another major benefit of a Central Coast NRL team would be the recognition on the national stage of the Central Coast as a region in its own right. Regional teams have worked incredibly well and have served to unite regions such as Newcastle and Townsville. The attendance figures for these teams and the passion of local fans are the envy of many of the metropolitan teams across the competition.
I also acknowledge the team behind the Central Coast bid led by John Singleton. The team includes: the Chairman of the Central Coast Stadium, Mr Russell Tate; the Chief Executive Officer of TAB Ltd, Warren Wilson; Graeme Campbell, Director, Ferrier Hodgson; Jim Henry, Chief Executive Officer, North Sydney Leagues Club; Garry Charny, Managing Director, Wolseley Corporate and Media; Gosford Councillor Chris Holstein; and Monique Marks, stadium managing director. The team has put together a bid that is hard to ignore. It is time for the NRL to give the Central Coast its own team.
Mr CHRIS HARTCHER (Gosford) [3.43 p.m.]: The Central Coast needs a rugby league team. It is entitled to a rugby league team. I, as the member for Gosford—and I am sure all members of the Coalition parties—support the Central Coast having the sixteenth team. The Central Coast, which now comprises some 300,000 people, is the third biggest region in the State after Sydney and the Hunter. It is bigger than areas such as the Illawarra, which has its own team. For many years people on the Central Coast have enthusiastically supported rugby league.
The attendance at matches by Central Coast residents both on the Central Coast and at matches away from the Central Coast is impressive. Every weekend there is vast participation in rugby league by thousands of young Central Coast residents—testimony to the strong support that our community gives to that sport. That strong support was evident in the bipartisan way in which Gosford stadium was constructed. It received a substantial grant from the Federal Liberal Government under Prime Minister John Howard.
Mr Ian Armstrong: A Liberal-Nationals Government.
Mr CHRIS HARTCHER: A Liberal-Nationals Government, as was stated by the honourable member for Lachlan. In January 2000 the Prime Minister, John Howard, opened the stadium with enormous fanfare and support. The stadium received a substantial grant from the New South Wales State Government under Premier Bob Carr. That magnificent stadium cries out for the establishment and location of a rugby league team. We support the idea of a team for the Central Coast ahead of Wellington and the Gold Coast. The Gold Coast has had a chance and it missed that chance. New Zealand already has a team. Surely the third biggest region in the State is entitled to a team.
A team would not only have a magnificent home ground and the support of the Central Coast community; it would also have the strong support of John Singleton, one of the driving forces behind this bid. As John Singleton has stated, it would have a guarantee of financial performance through Singleton backing and, as he has said, it would have a world-class stadium and facilities and the support of the STW communications group—the owners of Macquarie radio. So it would have the facilities, the community and the financial support. All that remains is for a decision to be made by the NRL. Last Thursday lower House politicians from the Central Coast and two of my Federal colleagues—Ken Ticehurst and Jim Lloyd from the House of Representatives—
Mr Milton Orkopoulos: And Jill Hall.
Mr CHRIS HARTCHER: And Jill Hall, the honourable member for Shortland—attended a public relations meeting at Gosford stadium and pledged their support for the NRL. We can confidently state that we are united in our support for this important concept. I will not reiterate the arguments put forward earlier by the Minister for Gaming and Racing as they speak for themselves. He placed on record the names of those who comprise the management committee—the driving force behind this bid. Central Coast media have also enthusiastically supported this project. It is important to acknowledge that there are other issues on the Central Coast besides rugby league football. Rugby league football is certainly a part of the ethos and life of the Central Coast but other issues must be addressed. I move:
That the motion be amended by the addition of the following paragraph:
(2) queries the commitment of the Government to the Central Coast beyond football in view of its downgrading of health and education services in the area.
We need a football team and we need a focus for our community. We all support that concept and we will all do our bit to ensure that it is achieved. But the Central Coast also needs services that the Government can provide. It is not enough for the Government to support private enterprise in securing a football team; it is up to the Government to do its part for the Central Coast and provide essential and necessary services. Those essential and necessary services for the coast include police, rail, health and education. Each of those services has been downgraded on the watch of the Minister for Gaming and Racing, the honourable member for Peats, the honourable member for Swansea and the honourable member for Wyong.
The Central Coast is reeling from a series of body blows dealt by the Carr Labor Government. While the community would rejoice in seeing a local team in the NRL competition and would stand united behind it, we are entitled to query the commitment of the Carr Labor Government beyond football. Let us consider police. Some 159 police graduated from the Goulburn academy last Friday week. How many of them have been stationed on the Central Coast? Zero. What happened the following week? Two police were taken from the coast. So the coast not only did not get the police it needed but lost more police.
Mr Grant McBride: Point of order: The honourable member for Gosford and I attended a meeting last week at which the local police superintendent indicated that there was an oversupply of officers on the Central Coast. The superintendent also explained that the constables that the honourable member for Gosford mentioned were only temporary.
Mr DEPUTY-SPEAKER: Order! There is no point of order.
Mr CHRIS HARTCHER: Zero police graduates came to the Central Coast and officers have since been removed. Nobody on the coast believes we have enough police. Last Saturday there was virtually a riot at Umina, in the electorate of the honourable member for Peats. Gangs of youths who had congregated in the street were dispersed by police using capsicum spray. That is an indication of this Government's lack of support for the people of Umina. The Central Coast is the largest rail commuter area not just in New South Wales but in Australia. We have a long litany of problems with late, dirty and overcrowded trains. Train after train runs late consistently but the Carr Government has offered zero responses to this problem. Local people are furious about the inadequate and poorly maintained rail service to the Central Coast. Yet State Labor members of Parliament never talk about it. They never mention trains. To them, the rail service does not exist on the Central Coast—it might as well be a foreign country.
What about health? Ambulances on the Central Coast wait for up to four hours to discharge their patients to emergency departments. The Carr Government has its axe poised over the Central Coast Area Health Service, which it plans to amalgamate with the Northern Sydney Area Health Service. The Government has even appointed the same chief executive officer to head those services. That is an example of the Carr Government's commitment to health on the Central Coast. We have an overcrowded and understaffed emergency department, ambulances waiting for up to four hours to discharge their patients and a planned amalgamation of the local health service with the Northern Sydney Area Health Service.
Let us talk about education. Until this year the Central Coast—the third largest region in the State—had its own regional office of the Department of Education and Training. But in 2004 that office was closed and the Central Coast was downgraded to a subregion. As the population on the Central Coast grows, the State Government removes and closes services. It has closed the service at the morgue—
Ms Marie Andrews: Point of order: The urgent motion is about the Central Coast fielding a team in the National Rugby League competition. The honourable member for Gosford is not relating his remarks to that motion.
Mr DEPUTY-SPEAKER: Order! The honourable member for Gosford has moved an amendment to the original motion. The honourable member for Gosford has the call.
Mr CHRIS HARTCHER: There is an amendment. The honourable member for Peats is regarded as being not necessarily the sharpest tool in the shed, and there is the evidence. I am in the final minute of my allotted speaking time and the honourable member for Peats does not even know that I have amended the motion. She should pay more attention. [Time expired.]
Mr MILTON ORKOPOULOS (Swansea) [3.53 p.m.]: What a disappointment that speech was and what a sad indictment of the honourable member for Gosford, the sole Liberal member to represent a Central Coast electorate in this place. What a disappointment he is! This motion, which has bipartisan support, calls for the Central Coast to be part of the National Rugby League [NRL] competition. The honourable member for Gosford said that the proposal was supported by members from both major political parties at all levels of government. But the sad honourable member for Gosford also told blatant porkies in his contribution.
Mr Chris Hartcher: Point of order: Was the honourable member for Swansea in the photograph last Thursday?
Mr DEPUTY-SPEAKER: Order! There is no point of order.
Mr MILTON ORKOPOULOS: I was performing my duties in the House last Thursday. Former councillor Bill Thompson represented me and the people of Swansea at that event. This pathetic Opposition has ignored the State Government's enormous investment in hospitals, schools, transport and infrastructure on the Central Coast. I support the original motion because I believe the NRL is deficient; it is looking only at the dollars. Mr Murdoch is urging the NRL not to include a Central Coast team in the competition. That is deplorable. In the North Wyong shire, in which the Swansea electorate is located, the Northern Lakes Junior Rugby League team—a single club—has 19 teams that are bursting at the seams to play rugby league. They are moving to first grade for the first time in many years. That is a clear example that Central Coast rugby league teams are bursting with talent and the desire to play rugby league at a higher level.
The Minister for Gaming and Racing said that the Premier has granted some $320,000 to the Central Coast Academy of Sport. That is yet another example of the Government's investment in sport on the Central Coast to ensure that local sporting talent remains on the coast and is nurtured to mature into national sporting success. No member in this House takes the honourable member for Gosford seriously when he tries to turn a bipartisan motion such as this into a political point-scoring exercise to benefit the Liberal Party. It does Opposition members no good to tell appalling lies in the House. How can the honourable member for Gosford claim that the health system on the Central Coast is deficient when this Government has spent hundreds of millions of dollars at the two local hospitals—one of which is located in his electorate?
The Government has established services at Gosford Hospital that the honourable member for Gosford never even dreamed of as a Minister in the Greiner and Fahey governments nor as a desperate, longstanding member of the Opposition. I support this motion because it has bipartisan support and because it will not result in any financial burden to the NRL. Mr Singleton has guaranteed that he will put up the $8 million that is required, and he deserves to be congratulated, together with every other supporter of this campaign to bring rugby league to the Central Coast.
Mr IAN ARMSTRONG (Lachlan) [3.58 p.m.]: I support the amendment moved by the honourable member for Gosford. Sport in general is one of the greatest assets any community can have. It is an exercise for juniors through to seniors, and is something people can enjoy for a lifetime. It brings character to a community. It is often not recognised that sport generates a lot of employment and economic activity in a community. This year rugby league has been through a torrid time. It has had problems with its image for a number of years. It would be good for it to have a new focus—a new team or, to use an old hackneyed saying, a new kid on the block. It would also create some excitement in the competition and help to improve the public perception of rugby league.
Rugby league has been the most popular sport played in this State for at least the past 60 or 70 years. It is played in almost every country town and village, many of which have their own teams. The gathering together of a community to watch a rugby league game creates a competitive, but responsible, atmosphere. It is good news all round, provided it is managed properly. The stadium on the Central Coast has enjoyed bipartisan support, as was evidenced by the way it was financed. It has also enjoyed enormous support from the wider community on the Central Coast, which has one of the fastest growing populations in Australia, and from the business community. An eclectic group of people have supported the stadium.
John Singleton, together with other major financiers and the club movement, will give this campaign an enormous amount of credibility. Mr Warren Wilson, General Manager of TAB Ltd, is a most astute businessman—he knows where the dollar is, and rugby league is a TAB betting operation. The honourable member for Gosford referred to the run-down state of other services, but I will talk about the stadium. It is timely and appropriate that another New South Wales team is brought into the competition. It would be ironic if, instead of that happening, Wellington, New Zealand, were to join the competition. These days it is romantic to fly to a faraway place to play a game and return home by air, but we should not ignore what is at our own back door: an enormous number of young people on the Central Coast—which has the fastest growing population in Australia—whose numbers will continue to grow.
If the Central Coast had a good solid rugby league team it would give purpose and momentum to the social and sporting aspects of the community. It would also provide part-time employment for many people, including university students and the semi-retired, who, on weekends, would sell pies or soft drinks, print programs, look after the grounds or work as gatekeepers. This is an opportunity for all honourable members to say to the National Rugby League that it is time to open the doors and let in another team. It will be good for rugby league and it will improve its image. It is time we opened up our doors rather than looked after the cloudy island so far away.
Ms MARIE ANDREWS (Peats) [4.03 p.m.]: I wholeheartedly support the urgent motion moved by my colleague the Minister for Gaming and Racing, which calls for the inclusion of a Central Coast team in the National Rugby League [NRL] competition. The campaign for a Central Coast team to be included in the NRL competition has gained momentum over recent years. The level of support received from residents of both the Gosford and Wyong local government areas has been overwhelming. In fact, 61 per cent of the total population of more than 350,000 people support the campaign. That figure far exceeds the 55 per cent level of NRL support from the total New South Wales and Queensland population and clearly demonstrates the seriousness of this issue.
Adults and youngsters from the Central Coast are, in the main, passionate about their sport. A high proportion of the population of the Central Coast participates in a wide variety of sports, and rugby league is one of the most popular sports. It is worth noting that rugby league is one of the sports that will be given special attention under the recently launched Central Coast Academy of Sport, to be funded by the Carr Government to the tune of $380,000. The Academy of Sport was promised by the Premier in the lead-up to the 2003 State election, and it has now been delivered. It will make a huge difference in promoting a number of sports on the Central Coast, including rugby league. I congratulate the Premier on enabling the academy to come to fruition.
In my electorate of Peats, this year the Brisbane Water Secondary College has included sports lifestyle and recreation as a subject for the Higher School Certificate. That subject focuses on refereeing rugby league matches, administration and coaching. It is supported by the Woy Woy Rugby League Football Club, the National Rugby League, and New South Wales Country Rugby League. This year the 15 students studying the course are predominantly in year 11 and a couple are in year 10. I commend the Brisbane Water Secondary College for including that very popular subject.
Mr Chris Hartcher: Point of order: Can the honourable member for Peats tell us why John Della Bosca did not attend for the photo?
Mr DEPUTY-SPEAKER: Order! There is no point of order.
Ms MARIE ANDREWS: Rugby league is, in many instances, a professional sport run by astute businesspeople, and if students show early promise of being able to excel at it and make a living out of it, the move by Brisbane Water Secondary College has been an enlightened one. Of course, studying rugby league encompasses much more than learning the techniques of the game: it also involves managerial skills, marketing aspects and so on. Attendance of Central Coast fans at NRL matches is extremely high: in fact, it is 43 per cent higher than for the average NRL game. There are three unique aspects in the case for a Central Coast franchise: the guarantee of financial performance, world-class stadium and facilities, and support of Australia's biggest advertising and marketing group.
The close association of STW Communications Group with Central Coast Stadium and Central Coast Bears will ensure that the client list of STW is continually exposed to, and invited to partner in, the development of the Central Coast Bears and rugby league generally on the Central Coast, which is one of the fastest growing regions in the entire State. Honourable members might be interested to learn that the STW group clients include Qantas, Ford, MLC, IBM, Bunnings Warehouse, Sanitarium Health Food Company, American Express, Myers, Kimberly-Clark Australia Pty Ltd, News Ltd, Unilever Australia Ltd, Kellogg Pty Ltd, Telstra, Nestlé Australia Ltd, Kraft Foods Ltd and many other well-known companies.
The Central Coast bid to be included in the National Rugby League competition has many strong features, some of which I shall now outline. The Central Coast Express Advocate Stadium at Gosford is a first-class football stadium which is considered to be one of the best viewing grounds in Australia. It was endorsed by the thousands of visitors to the stadium last year who watched the three Rugby World Cup matches that were staged at Gosford. The stadium is ideally located within walking distance of Gosford railway station. It is adjacent to Brisbane Water, with ferry services and other boating transport availability, and it is near the Pacific Highway and the F3. The Central Coast is an established rugby league heartland, with 31 rugby league clubs and more than 4,100 players. It also has a strong junior competition, the third largest in the State, with 3,200 players. The community has an ongoing commitment to the development and growth of rugby league. I take great pleasure in commending the urgent motion to the House.
Mr GRANT McBRIDE (The Entrance—Minister for Gaming and Racing) [4.08 p.m.], in reply: I thank honourable members who participated in the debate. I note the support of the honourable member for Gosford for the establishment of the sixteenth National Rugby League [NRL] team on the Central Coast, and I note the bipartisan support of New South Wales political parties as well as the support of local, State and Federal governments for this team. However, the amendment moved by the honourable member for Gosford is disappointing. To seek to sour the bipartisan support for the motion reflects poorly on him, as no doubt will be recognised by Central Coast people, who regard this as a major issue. The honourable member's behaviour reflects poorly on him and brings into question his sincerity about the subject matter of the motion.
I thank the honourable member for Swansea for his contribution. Being a keen Newcastle Knights supporter, he knows that a regional team can play a unifying role in the community—an approach lacking in the honourable member for Gosford. It will be fantastic for all of our communities and for rugby league when Newcastle plays the Central Coast in the NRL competition. The honourable member for Lachlan made a splendid contribution. His leadership on sport and commitment to an NRL team on the Central Coast again reflects poorly on the stand taken by the honourable member for Gosford. Members should contrast the support of a member of the experience and standing of the honourable member for Lachlan with the lack of such support by the honourable member for Gosford, who lives in the region. The contribution of the honourable member for Lachlan is in stark contrast with the snarling, sniping comments made by the honourable member for Gosford, whose comments I hope are accurately reported by the Central Coast media tomorrow.
The honourable member for Peats made yet again a wonderful contribution in support of another major issue for the people of the Central Coast. The issue at stake here is a sixteenth rugby league team for the Central Coast and the benefits of that for our community. It has been demonstrated by the Townsville Cowboys, the Brisbane Broncos and the Newcastle Knights that a regional team is a unifying, character-building and community-building asset. The Central Coast has struggled to gain this asset. Unfortunately, we were let down by the efforts of the previous consortium. The NRL adopts the tactic of not making a decision. It can, and will, make a decision eventually, but if it continues to defer its decision the Central Coast will not have the lead time necessary to put together a team for the 2006 season. That would be another opportunity lost to the Central Coast.
The honourable member for Lachlan asked: Do we want the sixteenth team to go north and be established in Queensland or to go across the ocean to New Zealand? Of course we do not. We want a NRL team on the Central Coast. I, like every other person on the Central Coast, have been bitterly disappointed by the carping attitude of the honourable member for Gosford. Instead of taking this opportunity to praise the Central Coast and encourage recognition and unification, he went the other way, as he always does. It is obvious why he is not the Leader of the Opposition.
Question—That the amendment be agreed to—put.
The House divided.
Ayes, 30
Mr Aplin
Mr Armstrong
Ms Berejiklian
Mr Cansdell
Mr Constance
Mr Debnam
Mr Fraser
Mrs Hancock
Mr Hartcher
Mr Hazzard
Ms Hodgkinson | Mrs Hopwood
Mr Humpherson
Mr Kerr
Mr Merton
Mr O'Farrell
Mr Page
Mr Piccoli
Mr Pringle
Mr Richardson
Mr Roberts
Ms Seaton | Mrs Skinner
Mr Slack-Smith
Mr Souris
Mr Stoner
Mr Tink
Mr R.W. Turner
Tellers,
Mr George
Mr Maguire |
Noes, 51
Mr Amery
Ms Andrews
Mr Barr
Mr Bartlett
Ms Beamer
Mr Black
Mr Brown
Ms Burney
Miss Burton
Mr Campbell
Mr Collier
Mr Corrigan
Mr Crittenden
Ms D'Amore
Mr Draper
Ms Gadiel
Mr Gaudry
Mr Gibson | Mr Greene
Ms Hay
Mr Hickey
Mr Hunter
Ms Judge
Ms Keneally
Mr Lynch
Mr McBride
Mr McGrane
Mr McLeay
Ms Meagher
Ms Megarrity
Mr Mills
Mr Morris
Mr Newell
Ms Nori
Mr Orkopoulos
Mrs Paluzzano | Mr Pearce
Mr Price
Dr Refshauge
Mr Sartor
Mr Scully
Mr Shearan
Mr Stewart
Mr Torbay
Mr Tripodi
Mr Watkins
Mr West
Mr Whan
Mr Yeadon
Tellers,
Mr Ashton
Mr Martin |
Pair
Question resolved in the negative.
Amendment negatived.
Motion agreed to.
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