Luke Hartsuyker (Cowper, National Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Sport. I refer the minister to the 23 soccer clubs within the North Coast football zone in Cowper, which have a total annual electricity bill in excess of $100,000 to light soccer fields. Will the government compensate sporting clubs like these for the increase in electricity prices as a result of the carbon tax, or does the government expect these costs to be met through higher club fees?

Kate Ellis (Adelaide, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment Participation and Childcare) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member opposite for his question. In response I would advise him to talk to the clubs about which he is talking about the record levels of investment that this government has put into both infrastructure, something that he is not prepared to ask questions about, and also sports funding with a record increase to ensure these clubs are supported at a level they never have been before.

Luke Hartsuyker (Cowper, National Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The question was very specific. It asked about increased electricity costs and compensation to the clubs for those increases in electricity costs.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister is responding to the question.

Kate Ellis (Adelaide, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment Participation and Childcare) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In response to that I am quite happy to once again outline to the opposition the facts of why the government is acting on this and the process that we are going through. We are working with the multiparty committee to both work through the details of what a price on carbon will look like as well as look at assistance arrangements. Perhaps, rather than going out and scaring clubs in this community and in the community more broadly, he might want to get on board and work productively with us and with the other members of this parliament who are at the moment taking seriously our responsibility to act on climate change, which we know is real and we know must be addressed.