Anthony Chisholm (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

What an absolute farce! It goes to show he can't answer that question, because he knows that this isn't actually going to do anything to increase the number of eyeballs that are able to watch these sports. This is the deal you've done, Senator Burston, Senator Xenophon. This is what you've done. You've facilitated $30 million going to Foxtel, basically just as money that they can do whatever they want with—no strings attached. There is nothing that's actually going to do what the minister said, at a time when women's sport is riding the crest of a wave. This is going to do nothing for that. This is a tragedy for women's sports, when they're crying out to get on free-to-air television because that will bring in the sponsorship dollars, that will lead to crowds getting involved and that will lead to higher pay for women's sports, which deserve so much more than they have had historically. This minister does nothing for them. It is a shameful deal and one that he should hang his head in shame over.