Bernie Ripoll (Oxley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

to move:

That this House:

(1) acknowledges that the Football Queensland licensing scheme is anti-competitive because it:

(a) excludes smaller and new apparel manufacturers who cannot afford to pay the annual fee from the market;

(b) increases costs for clubs and players as licensed suppliers pass on the cost of the licence fee and the 'Q Logo' to consumers;

(c) forces clubs to purchase what some regard as inferior and expensive products as Football Queensland strictly enforces penalties against clubs that wear apparel from non-licensed suppliers in competitive matches;

(d) increases cost for regional clubs as manufacturers large enough to pay the licensing fee are based in the large population centres, not in the regions; and

(e) protects licensed suppliers from true competition as there is only a limited number of licensed suppliers and most are aware of each others prices;

(2) recognises that the current immunity from prosecution granted to Football Queensland by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has been instrumental in allowing Football Queensland to conduct this anti-competitive behaviour and sets a precedent for other sporting administration bodies within Australia to instigate similar schemes;

(3) calls on the ACCC to consider the anti-competitive nature of the Football Queensland licensing scheme when deciding on the continuation of the immunity from prosecution granted to Football Queensland; and

(4) acknowledges that Football Queensland and other similar organisations have special exemptions and conditions in relation to their status in their community and as a consequence also carry special responsibility and duty of care in the exercise of its charter for clubs and players, as well as its commercial relationships.

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