Sharon Grierson (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate you on your elevation to the speakership. I did have a previous opportunity but at the time, in question time, you were being so stern and there was such a profound silence in response that I did not like to spoil the moment. As much as I miss sharing a bench in this chamber with you, and I miss your wise counsel, sharp wit and great humour, I am so proud that it is being shared with the Australian public. The question time tragics in my electorate are telling me that they very much appreciate the new style of the new Speaker.

It is grand final time in the A-league and I am proud to inform the House that on Sunday evening the Newcastle Jets will play the Central Coast Mariners in the grand final. I notice that the member for Robertson, a rival in this, is here and I am sure she is supporting her team. While we have made the finals in each of the three years of the A-league competition, this is our very first grand final. Last year the member for Hindmarsh’s team knocked us out; I enjoyed very much watching that game with him in Adelaide. So in Newcastle we are abuzz with excitement. That we have reached this point is a tribute to the owner, Con Constantine; the club’s executive and staff; its coach, Gary van Egmond; and all of its wonderfully talented players, not to mention the dedicated fans. On the weekend, former Socceroo Craig Foster wrote that the Jets, along with Queensland Roar, were the best teams to watch this season—a fine tribute to our young squad, from a great of the Australian game.

The city of Newcastle has got right behind our Jets in the three years of its existence, and it is great that we now have two teams—the Jets and the Knights—competing at the highest level, in two national football codes and receiving such wonderful support. Like thousands of Novocastrians, I am looking forward to travelling to Sydney on Sunday to cheer them home. But also like many thousands of Novocastrians, I will miss the home-ground atmosphere. Like them, I was also very disappointed that, had we qualified first for the grand final, we would not have had the opportunity to host the grand final at our home ground—EnergyAustralia Stadium—because our stadium’s capacity, currently around 24,000, is just not sufficient for a grand final crowd. It is also not big enough to host Asian Cup or World Cup matches, which require 40,000 seats—competitions which Australia has indicated it may bid for in the near future. It would be a tragedy for our region if we were to miss out on those opportunities because our stadium still is not up to international standard.

I was first elected into this place in 2001, and I continually lobbied the former government for federal assistance to help upgrade our stadium. Ten thousand signatures on a petition were lodged, but not one cent was forthcoming for Newcastle. I am pleased to report to the House that the Rudd government is following through with its commitment at the last election to contribute $10 million to help create several thousand more seats at EAS.

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