Ms KATE ELLIS (9:54 AM) —I rise to speak on an issue that I, like many Australians, feel passionately about: Australian rules football. My office has received an increasing number of calls concerning AFL plans to grant exclusive broadcasting rights to pay TV for home-game AFL football matches played outside Melbourne. Not surprisingly, people are upset and angry at reports that they may be unable to access Adelaide Crows and Port Power home game football matches on free-to-air TV. Today I would like to take this opportunity to voice my constituents’ opposition to this matter, to remind the government of the antisiphoning laws currently in place and to insist that the government ensure that the AFL stays within those laws.

Sport is part of Australian culture and, frankly, having to pay $50 each month to be able to watch the mighty Adelaide Crows or, if people so choose, Port Power play on TV is unacceptable. More than a decade ago the previous Labor government established an antisiphoning regime aimed at ensuring that rights to certain events were not sold to pay TV until free-to-air networks were given reasonable opportunity to purchase those rights. This regime has never prevented events being shown on pay TV and does not guarantee free-to-air broadcasters exclusive rights. Rather, the antisiphoning regime is about ensuring that major sporting events are available to all Australians on free-to-air television.

Last football season three AFL matches per round were shown by Foxtel, while the rest were aired on free-to-air TV. Yet the AFL seems intent on turning its back on football fans, instead wanting to negotiate an agreement that grants pay TV exclusive broadcasting rights to the home games of the Sydney Swans, the Brisbane Lions, the West Coast Eagles, the Fremantle Dockers and, most importantly, the Adelaide Crows and Port Power.

South Australian football fans have had it far too hard for too long. Our clubs travel—they have more away games—and, unlike many of those Victorian clubs, do not get the easy run that they are granted. As a Crows supporter, I know that our club is so popular that fans have to go on a waiting list to get membership to the club. Home games are regularly sold out, giving many fans no choice but to watch it on television. I would also not want to forget our country fans, who rely on free-to-air television rights in order to tune into their favourite game.

There has been a lot of talk about the rise of soccer in our communities. I would like to say to the AFL that it is hardly the time for them to be taking footy fans for granted. If the AFL gets its way, football fans will have to pay up to $600 a year to watch their team’s home game matches. As one of my constituents so rightly pointed out, forcing people to pay any sum to watch their favourite team play at home is unfair, and it is particularly unfair to people who cannot afford to purchase pay TV. Sport should remain accessible to all Australians on free-to-air television. I call on Andrew Demetriou and the AFL commission to value footy supporters, including Adelaide Crows and Port Power supporters, who want nothing more than to be able to watch their teams. (Time expired)