Page 3484 - Week 11 - Thursday, 15 November 2007
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believe in what they are doing. They want to serve this community. But they want to do it in a way that represents the purposes of the club.
On what basis do you say to a group of people who come together out of the goodness of their hearts to actually create a sporting club to support rugby league or AFL or rugby union, “We know that is why you came together and we are really grateful you did, but we would like actually to siphon off your energy and your commitment into some area of community life—over and above the fact you have paid taxes—in which you have not ever expressed a particular interest”? It is bizarre.
MR STEFANIAK (Ginninderra—Leader of the Opposition) (4.27): It is very timely that we are having this debate, because both Mr Stanhope and I are going to a Clubs ACT AGM down in Narooma on Friday and Saturday. Ms Tucker—
Mr Stanhope: It is called deja vu.
MR STEFANIAK: Indeed. Dr Foskey, let me make a few points quite clear here. Firstly, I am rather amazed that you think my party gets much from licensed clubs.
Dr Foskey: Not much, just some.
MR STEFANIAK: I would be fascinated to see what figures you have; certainly I do not have too many. It is very much the Labor Party that gets the lion’s share, because of the clubs structure; it is set up—
Dr Foskey: It is on the electoral commission website.
MR STEFANIAK: We have commented on that on frequent occasions in the Assembly. I am going to remind you of something your predecessor, Ms Tucker, did; but let me come to that one later.
Let me say something in relation to community contributions. I do not think—correct me if I am wrong here—that you have ever served on a club board. I disclose that I have served on several. There was the ACT Rugby Union Club in the 1980s and Royals from 1989 to 1988. I was public officer of the white eagle club in 2002. At that stage I do not think they would have known a football if they had tripped over it; and all of our donations, small as they were, went to charities and cultural events.
Clubs are set up in accordance with their articles of association. As the Chief Minister has quite correctly indicated, the vast majority of clubs in the ACT have been set up as sporting clubs to promote various sports—such as the bocce club; the Ainslie football club, which is Aussie rules; the Tuggeranong rugby club, which is rugby union; the Belconnen Magpies sporting club, which is Australian rules; and the west Belconnen rugby league club. And there is the Belconnen Soccer Club—of which I am a patron; I will disclose that too. I am a patron of quite a few, actually.
They provide a wonderful service to the community. Having served on these boards, I know that those clubs’ primary role is to support what they are there for. That is usually the sport—the sporting groups involved. They have a habit of giving money to charities—giving money to people within the club who might be suffering hard times.
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