SPORTING FACILITIES

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS (15:19): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Leader of the Government, representing the Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing, a question about sporting facilities.

Leave granted.

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS: Recently the Chief Executive of Sport SA, Ms Jan Sutherland, highlighted that our current sporting facilities barely coped with the recent Masters Games (and, indeed, the World Fire and Police Games) and detailed the need for new developments specifically within the western suburbs. The idea was raised that an icon multi-use sports stadium could be built in the West Parklands, a stadium that could host a wide range of sport and entertainment events. Will the minister detail the government's view on such a proposal, given that the government's sporting strategic plan 2007-17 stated the need to develop facilities that will provide for international competition standards?

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY (Minister for Police, Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Urban Development and Planning) (15:20): I will get a response from my colleague in another place. I make the general comment that, if we are looking at significantly more money being spent on sport, members opposite apparently have a tax review at present, with the Leader of the Opposition in another place raising expectations that a future Liberal government would slash tax. We have requirements every day for more money to be spent in virtually every area of government. It will be interesting, when the shadow treasurer—who is also the Leader of the Opposition in another place—comes to pulling all this strategy together next year, to see how he will pay for all the promises he has been offering. We even had the interjection earlier today by the shadow minister for police saying that the police need more resources, notwithstanding the fact that they have had record resources under the current government.

We have all these calls for more resources, which simply means more taxpayers' money going into all these areas, while at the same time members opposite are saying that we should have a tax review, cutting payroll and land tax and the few sources of revenue that we have. I will get the detail from my colleague the minister for sport in another place, but members opposite will have to come clean over the next two years as to where their priorities lie and how they will afford the promises they have made to the people of South Australia. You cannot promise more money in every area of government activity whilst at the same time cutting taxes—it does not add up.