Nick Xenophon (SA, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Arbib, the Minister for Sport. Just two days ago, the UK parliament's House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee heard alarming evidence that two FIFA members from Cameroon and the Ivory Coast allegedly took bribes of $1.5 million each to vote for Qatar in its bid for the 2022 world cup. It is a matter of public record that the Australian government spent $45.6 million of taxpayers' money on Australia's unsuccessful bid. Given these grave allegations of serious corruption at the heart of FIFA, what steps will the Australian government take? Indeed, will the govern­ment be asking for a $45.6 million refund from FIFA?

Mark Arbib (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Social Housing and Homelessness) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Xenophon for the question and also for his interest. I think that all senators would agree that Australia would have been a fantastic host for the 2022 world cup, and Australia's bid was of the highest quality. It was an impressive bid; there is no doubt about it. It would have been a fantastic boost to tourism, it would have been a fantastic boost to business and it certainly would have been a fantastic boost to our sports infrastructure. The debate around the funding of a new stadium in Western Australia, an upgrade of Adelaide Oval and stadium upgrades in Geelong and Blacktown would have been much improved and funding would certainly have been contributed from winning a world cup bid.

Like all football fans, I am disappointed about the allegations that were made in Britain this week. We strongly believe that all bids should be judged on their merits. The Australian government had an expectation that any bid conducted on behalf of a national football association was done with the utmost integrity. Senators would be aware of the news that former UK Football Association chairman Lord Triesman told a Department for Culture, Media and Sport committee in the UK that four FIFA members sought bribes in return for backing England's failed 2018 world cup bid. It was also alleged that evidence supplied by the Sunday Times newspaper claimed that two more FIFA executive committee members were paid nearly £1 million to vote for Qatar's bid.

Speaking at the House of Commons on Tuesday, Lord Triesman said that he would now take his evidence to FIFA, and I welcome that. At the same time, we need to keep at the forefront of our minds that these are allegations. They have not yet been proven and they need to be investigated. The Australian government welcomes FIFA's announcement that it will be investigating allegations surrounding the bidding process. I also agree with the British minister that the Swiss authorities should consider legal action against FIFA for accepting members— (Time expired)

Nick Xenophon (SA, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. In response to these allegations the Prime Minister has stated that this was an issue for FIFA to investigate. Does the minister agree with the comments made this morning by Radio National sports commentator Warwick Hatfield that 'trusting FIFA to investigate corruption within FIFA is like trusting Dracula to run the blood bank'?

Mark Arbib (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Social Housing and Homelessness) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There have been numerous allegations made in relation to FIFA concerning the bidding process. For a number of months now a number of investi­gations have taken place, a number of FIFA executive members have been suspended and, certainly, there have been, on behalf of the president, discussion and also comments that there was collusion between bidding rivals between 2010 and 2022.

What I would say again is that if people have evidence, they should take it to FIFA. It is the place for that evidence to be heard. But, again I agree with the British culture secretary, Jeremy Hunt, who said that the Swiss authorities should consider legal action against FIFA or its executive members if the allegations are proven.

Nick Xenophon (SA, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Given the many grave allegations of corruption within FIFA, will the Australian government rule out any further world cup bids until FIFA undergoes serious and widespread reform to stamp out corruption?

Mark Arbib (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Social Housing and Homelessness) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

World cup bids are undertaken by the governing bodies of football federations; they are not undertaken by governments. It is a decision for Football Federation Australia to make in terms of future bids for world cups. What I will say is that while we did lose, and it was bitterly disappointing to lose, one thing that Australians do very well in sport is pick ourselves up and try again; we never stop competing.

The good news is that we have been successful in winning the Asian Cup, which is now one of the largest sporting events in Asia. Football is now the number one sport in Asia. Close to a billion people in Asia watched the last Asian Cup, and Australia now has the possibility of putting on a first-class Asian Cup in 2015. That is something that we will be very working closely on.

In terms of reform of FIFA, there has been discussion about reform, and something I support is that all nations get a vote in the bidding process. (Time expired)