Kate Thwaites (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I note even government members opposite couldn't keep a straight face when talking about their level of integrity.

An opposition member: That's right, and that says it all.

It does say it all, doesn't it? I really want to talk today about the sports rorts and about what that means in my community in Jagajaga. In Jagajaga, we've got more than 100 sporting clubs. We love our sports. Every time I am out and about, people tell me how busy they are caring for their club and playing on a Saturday—and how they need new facilities and how they're stretched and how they need some funding support. Do you know what the Greensborough Hockey Club did through the Nillumbik shire? They applied for some funding support. They applied for some funding support through a now-famous funding sports grants program. They were rated by Sport Australia as quite deserving of this funding. In fact, they received 89 out of 100.

An opposition member: Eighty-nine?

Yes, they did. The Greensborough Hockey Club, a great hockey club run by some great people, were found to be very deserving of their new pavilion—$500,000. Now, imagine their surprise when they didn't receive this money. And we now know why they didn't receive this money. They didn't receive this money because this government is more interested in rorting, it's more interested in playing political games with taxpayer funds, than it is in supporting local sporting clubs.

I've got a direct contrast here, in fact. A constituent of mine called my office late in January. His son played for the Toorak East Malvern Hockey Club. They share a facility with the Hawthorn Hockey Club in the wealthy, leafy electorate of Kooyong next door. This, of course, is the Treasurer's seat.

Now, my constituent is quite involved in the affairs of the Toorak East Malvern Hockey Club. On 26 April last year, during the caretaker period, he received an email from this club's leadership. He, along with all the other teams and players, received this email inviting him along to an 'urgent additional training event' that night. They were told to wear their full club uniforms. When they got there, it was for a photo-op with their local member, the member for Kooyong, who announced $500,000 for a club pavilion redevelopment—during the caretaker period. There you go! So, Greensborough Hockey Club rated 89 out of 100—no funding. Next door in Kooyong—$500,000. Do you know what they were rated by Sport Australia?

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