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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Second Session (51-2)
2008-06-03 Daily Xml
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AAMI STADIUM

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH (Waite—Leader of the Opposition) (15:04): In light of the Treasurer's answer to the earlier question, I ask the Treasurer this: has he obtained an absolute guarantee that the $100 million for the upgrade of AAMI Stadium will definitely ensure that the venue complies with all FIFA requirements for World Cup and international matches? FIFA technical requirements for a world standard stadium state, at clause 2.9:

The ultimate location would probably be a large city-centre site with good access to public transport, major roads and motorways and parking that can be used by others when games are not being played.

Clause 4.2 states:

The playing field must be absolutely smooth and level.

AAMI has an extreme camber and would require significant works to the ground surface, and spectators at AAMI are too far away from the playing surface to meet FIFA's technical requirements further explained in its documents.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY (Port Adelaide—Deputy Premier, Treasurer, Minister for Industry and Trade, Minister for Federal/State Relations) (15:06): Do you honestly think it is good public policy and a wise use of taxpayers' money ($1 billion at least) to build a stadium for two or three games of soccer? Are you honestly suggesting that that is—

Mr Hamilton-Smith interjecting:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! The Leader of the Opposition will come to order!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: If I did my homework! The government does not believe that expenditure of at least $1 billion of taxpayers' money, in lieu of building a new hospital, for a handful of games of soccer, albeit potentially, maybe, in 2022, is a worthwhile expenditure of taxpayers' money. We just do not happen to think that is a particularly good use of taxpayers' money. You campaign on a football stadium; we will campaign on a hospital. I think the public know what they prefer of their governments.

Mr Pisoni interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: You can have both!

The Hon. P.F. Conlon: And a set of steak knives.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Yes; a set of steak knives thrown in. Don't worry about our credit rating; that will go down the tube.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Oh, fair dinkum, you would bankrupt this state within the first or second budget. It would be back to the bad old days with this lot, where this state could not balance its budget and could not keep a AAA credit rating—and all the good, hard work we have done as a government with the financial management would be just down the drain. All the hard toil that we have done as a government to repair our state's finances would be out the window under this lot. They would go off and build footy stadiums and whatever.

The Hon. P.F. Conlon: They do have a track record on soccer stadiums.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Yeah; they like those soccer stadiums. On Sunday, Leigh Whicker, the executive commissioner of football in this state—

Mr Hamilton-Smith interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Do you want the answer? Are you listening?

Mr Hamilton-Smith interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Well, I'm giving you the answer. Do you want the answer? Leigh Whicker, the executive commissioner of football in this state said that the SANFL Football Park has been audited by FIFA and that the work it is undertaking is in line with FIFA requirements. I do not think that audit has been—

Mr Hamilton-Smith interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: What does that mean? The SANFL has said that it believes that the work it is doing at its stadium will be more than sufficient for FIFA requirements. They have been audited. I do not think the audit has come back has it, Michael?

The Hon. M.J. Wright interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: No; the audit has not come back. That is what the SANFL has said; you will have to go and ask the SANFL.

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