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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2015-06-17 Daily Xml
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Adelaide Lightning Women's Basketball Team

Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:37): I have a further question to the Treasurer. What will the future be of women's basketball in South Australia and the $150,000 promise to Adelaide Lightning by the SA Motor Accident Commission under the government's plans to sell the commission?

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) (14:37): Thank you very much, Mr Speaker, and happy birthday. I hope you are having a good day.

The SPEAKER: Thank you.

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL: I thank the deputy leader for the question. The Motor Accident Commission deal is a one-off deal. Adelaide Lightning, of course, is a well-respected sporting organisation and club in South Australia. It has won five national titles, it has produced some of our best ever Olympians and what they were after was from the commercial sector of South Australia to put some money in for some long-term sponsorship. There is some discussion still going on with the club because that is what they need to work on for the season after this upcoming season.

What the Motor Accident Commission was able to do was step in, intervene and provide sponsorship for one year. It has been made very clear to Adelaide Lightning and to Basketball South Australia that it is a one-year deal to help them through a difficult period. In the past the team has been owned by an individual who, over six or seven years whenever something needed to be done, chipped in with the money. What happens when you have that around a sporting club is that often you get a breakdown in the support network that is usually around sporting organisations, so I guess the Adelaide Lightning is going through a transition where they are trying to re-engage with the commercial sector and potential sponsors. But they were delighted that the Motor Accident Commission could come along and help out for this year so that they could keep a team out there on the court.

They want to get the best possible players they can, they have a new coach in place, and I am sure we all wish them the very best for the next season, but we also need to keep the word out there that the private sector needs to get in behind our elite sporting teams as well, just like we see for the Crows and Port Adelaide and the Thunderbirds, that all of our elite level teams have the sponsorship that is there from the commercial sector. When we look at things like the Santos Tour Down Under, we see the number of commercial entities that get in and do that, so my plea for the commercial sector in South Australia is that we have a fantastic team in the Adelaide Lightning and it would be terrific to see private sector sponsorship come in and help them after this upcoming season.

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