Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

Why is the AFL bringing in an international artist, a slur merchant, and paying them $2 million rather than backing Aussie talent? The AFL have decided that, rather than putting on an Australian artist for the grand final, they're going to pay Snoop Dogg $2 million to play at the grand final. The AFL is a cultural institution, and cultural institutions like this should be backing the rest of our cultural institutions—our artists, our musicians and our music industry right here at home.

Of course, the AFL has been mired in its own controversy over the last week or so. We know that one of the players, Adelaide Crows player Izak Rankine, was suspended last week for using homophobic slurs—as he should have been. But the irony is not lost on many of us that, while Izak Rankine gets dumped, Snoop Dogg gets $2 million to play his misogynistic, homophobic music on our turf.

We need investment in Aussie talent. We need investment in our music industry, and we need to say that, if it's an Aussie game, it's an Aussie artist playing. I urge the AFL: have the guts to rethink this decision. Use last week's outcry from the Australian community about homophobia and misogyny to dump Snoop Dogg and put in place an Aussie artist. If you need any ideas, the Australian people have a list as long as my arm of all the Aussie bands and Aussie artists that would be better than Snoop Dogg and his misogynistic, homophobic slur merchanting.