Steve Martin (Tasmania, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I, and also on behalf of Senators Williams, O'Sullivan, Abetz, Bushby, Colbeck, Duniam, McKim, Whish-Wilson, Polley, Singh, Urquhart, Bilyk and Brown, move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

  (i) 28 years after the creation of the Australian Football League's (AFL) national competition, Tasmania remains without a team in either the men's or women's competitions,

  (ii) along with Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia, Tasmania is an original foundational state for Australian Rules football,

  (iii) Australian Rules football remains one of the biggest social institutions in Tasmania, and plays an important role in the health and well-being of Tasmanians, as well as supporting the strength and cohesion of communities throughout the state,

  (iv) Tasmania has been a regular and proud source of talent for the AFL and AFLW since their inception,

  (v) despite three decades of support by the community and many politicians, including the bipartisan recommendations of a Senate committee, the AFL has not committed to a Tasmanian AFL team, and

  (vi) Tasmanian football is at the crossroads and with limited talent pathways there is significant risk to community interest and enthusiasm which is compounded with increasing competition from other sports;

(b) expresses its support for the establishment and inclusion of a Tasmanian team in the AFL and AFLW at the soonest feasible opportunity; and

(c) calls on the AFL to commission new independent business plans for the inclusion of a Tasmanian team in the men's and women's national leagues by 2023.

Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Labor recognises Tasmania's proud football history and the important role football plays in Tasmanian communities today. Tasmania has provided some of the game's greats, and talented young Tasmanians continue to be drafted to the AFL and AFLW. Despite being a traditional Aussie Rules state, Tasmania has suffered as the AFL has prioritised expansion into non-traditional markets. It is for the AFL to make decisions about when a new AFL or AFLW club might be introduced or where it will be based. It is important that, across this parliament, we unite and send a strong message that the AFL should properly consider the case for both Tasmanian AFL and AFLW teams at the next opportunity.

Nick McKim (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Nick McKim (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Tasmania is a traditional and proud AFL footy state that has been repeatedly shafted by the powers in the AFL. We deserve our own men's and women's teams, and it is simply not good enough for the AFL to keep referring this off into the never-never. We need a clear statement from the AFL that lays out a pathway for Tasmania to have both men's and women's AFL teams based in Tasmania with 'Tasmania' in their names so that the Tasmanian football community, which is a massive, proud and motivated community, can get behind men's and women's Tasmanian teams in the AFL. Fold the failing Gold Coast Suns and give the licence to Tasmania!

Question agreed to.