House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2015-05-07 Daily Xml

Contents

Adelaide Lightning Women's Basketball Team

Mr WHETSTONE (Chaffey) (15:09): My question is to the Minister for Sport. Will the minister guarantee the future of the Lightning women's basketball team in Adelaide by providing them with enough funding to assist them while they wait for corporate sponsorship?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL (Mawson—Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Tourism, Minister for Recreation and Sport, Minister for Racing) (15:10): I thank the member for Chaffey for the question. There has been no approach made to government to provide money to the Adelaide Lightning—

Mr Marshall: That wasn't the question.

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: Well, usually if you're going to give money to someone, someone asks for money in the first place. That's usually how it goes. No-one has actually—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: No-one has actually—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Treasurer is warned.

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: No-one has come to us and asked for any money for Adelaide Lightning, but I might point out that in the past, governments have not been in the business of providing funding to elite-level sporting clubs. We're all about funding the grassroots and providing things like $50 sports vouchers for primary school students to make sure we have widespread participation.

Adelaide Lightning have won five WNBL championships. They're one of the most successful clubs in this state's history, and I sincerely—like most South Australians, I'm sure—wish them every success for the future both on the court and off the court.