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senate vote 2022-11-23#7
Edited by
mackay staff
on
2022-12-30 10:46:00
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Title
Matters of Urgency — Sport: Fossil Fuel Sponsorship- Matters of Urgency - Sport - Fossil Fuel Sponsorship
Description
<p class="speaker">Linda Reynolds</p><p>The President has also received the following letter, dated 23 November 2022, from Senator McKim:</p>-
- The majority voted against a [motion](https://www.openaustralia.org.au/senate/?gid=2022-11-23.145.1) moved by Victorian Senator [Lidia Thorpe](https://theyvoteforyou.org.au/people/senate/victoria/lidia_thorpe) (Greens) at the request of Tasmanian Senator [Nick McKim](https://theyvoteforyou.org.au/people/senate/tasmania/nick_mckim) (Greens), which means it failed.
- ### Motion text
- > *That, in the opinion of the Senate, the following is a matter of urgency:*
- >
- > *The need for the Senate to support the banning of fossil fuel sponsorship in sport, recognising the leadership shown recently by prominent athletes speaking out against fossil fuel companies sponsoring sport organisations.*
<p class="italic">Pursuant to standing order 75, I give notice that today the Australian Greens propose to move "That, in the opinion of the Senate, the following is a matter of urgency:</p><p class="italic">"The need for the Senate to support the banning of fossil fuel sponsorship in sport, recognising the leadership shown recently by prominent athletes speaking out against fossil fuel companies sponsoring sport organisations".</p><p>Is the proposal supported?</p><p class="italic"> <i>More than the number of senators required by the standing orders having risen in their places—</i></p><p>I understand that informal arrangements have been made to allocate specific times to each of the speakers in today's debate. With the concurrence of the Senate, I'll ask the clerks to set the clocks accordingly.</p> <p class="speaker">Lidia Thorpe</p><p>I move:</p><p class="italic">That, in the opinion of the Senate, the following is a matter of urgency:</p><p class="italic">The need for the Senate to support the banning of fossil fuel sponsorship in sport, recognising the leadership shown recently by prominent athletes speaking out against fossil fuel companies sponsoring sport organisations.</p><p>This country loves sport. Our athletes are our children's role models. For First Nations communities, sport has played a role in our gatherings and celebrations since before colonisation, bringing people together and strengthening our culture.</p><p>Recently, we have been seeing more and more athletes, fans and community leaders taking action for climate justice. This shows the next generation what good leadership looks like, in caring for our country and our communities. Climate change is making our country sick, and fossil fuel companies are continuing to destroy our lands, our waters and our skies, fuelling climate change and killing us.</p><p>Fossil fuels are the new tobacco. When we realised that tobacco had serious consequences to our health, we decided that the companies responsible for these harms had no place in sponsoring the sports teams and athletes we love. Now, as this country suffers devastating floods and fires, our athletes and everyday people are taking a stand to say that these dirty polluters have lost their social licence and have no place in sponsoring our beloved sports teams and players. In an attempt to regain this social licence, these dirty companies are pumping millions of dollars into sponsoring some of our biggest sports teams and events, giving an estimated $14 million a year to national sporting teams, not to mention the millions in donations they give to both the Labor Party and the Liberal Party every year to keep this destructive industry alive.</p><p>Recent polling shows that a majority of Australians believe that fossil fuel sponsorship is the new cigarette sponsorship, and that fossil fuel companies should be banned from sponsoring national sports teams. This research shows that fossil fuel companies have lost their social licence to sportswash our national teams and major events. Given that gas, coal and oil companies are accelerating the harmful impacts of climate change and extreme weather events, it's unsurprising that Australians and our athletes want these companies out of sport.</p><p>As the only party in this place that does not accept donations from the polluting companies that are destroying our country and the globe, the Greens welcome and support the leadership shown by our deadly Noongar sister netballer Donnell Wallam, Noongar ex-AFL player Daniel Kickert, and Australian test captain Pat Cummins in taking a stand against racist mining companies and fighting for climate justice. In voicing their objections to fossil fuel companies sponsoring their teams, these athletes are using their influence for positive change. That should be commended. The Greens want fossil fuel companies to be banned from all forms of advertising and sponsorships, including sponsoring any sporting team, organisation or event. If the government chooses to ignore the leadership of these athletes, whilst they get selfies with them and stand on podiums, which is quite hypocritical, they will be showing where their allegiances really lie: not with our athletes and not with our communities, but with their mates in the fossil fuel industry who no longer have permission to continue destroying our country and polluting the planet.</p> <p class="speaker">Susan McDonald</p><p>Opponents of conventional energy companies and their involvement in sports sponsorship are determined to cut Australia's zinc-covered nose off despite its face. Australia has always been a world leader in sport, but it now appears we want to lead the world in hypocrisy. Many professional sporting teams are coming under pressure to cut all ties with energy resources companies. But if they were really serious, that would mean no more flying to games, no more diesel-fuelled team buses, no more night games unless the stadium lights run on a completely renewable energy, which may prove difficult to date on a dark windless night. The same with air-conditioning in the rooms and coaches boxes. Boots and sneakers are out, and mouthguards, plastic drink bottles, goalposts, playing apparel, clubs, bats, balls and supporters' gear too. And fans will have to stand, because plastic grandstand seating is also out. Did anyone tell them these products were all made from minerals or petroleum resources? Professional sport would not exist without the by-products of key mineral and energy commodities like coal, oil and gas.</p><p>I'm looking forward to seeing if this government is going to reject this radical position, or whether it will say somehow that we're too good for the over $40 billion worth of royalties and company taxes paid by resources companies, and that we don't want to accept their money. Are we also too good for the hundreds of thousands of Australians who accept salaries and wages from resource companies? Are we too good for them as well? Recently Hancock Prospecting, Woodside and Alinta Energy came under attack for the crime of daring to help our athletes play sport for a living, earn millions of dollars and bask in the adoration of fans.</p><p>The truth is that much of professional and community sport is made possible because of Australian resources. For instance, Hancock Prospecting ploughs money into minor sports that don't get the big sponsors, such as rowing, volleyball and synchronised swimming. Community sporting bodies represent mums and dads who take kids to sporting fields, ovals and stadiums right across the country every weekend and during the week, so it's people like Mrs Rinehart and our great resources companies who are putting their hands in their pockets and allowing these things to happen.</p><p>Sadly, some sports stars, the Greens, most of the Labor Party, the teals and green Independents don't seem to realise that traditional dispatchable energy from conventional sources is pivotal to our ability to live first-class lifestyles. They also ignore the fact that almost all the big energy companies have publicly and firmly committed to reducing their own emissions. They employ the most environmental scientists and do the most environmental studies, outside of the public sector. They sponsor programs for underprivileged and Indigenous youth that don't garner the big headlines, and many of these programs are in regional areas, where young people don't have access to the best coaching, the best facilities and the decent equipment available in the cities.</p><p>Under these circumstances it's hard enough for a country kid to crack the big time, but now we're being told that we have to put another obstacle in their way. Criticism of energy company sponsorship ignores the fact that regional sports clubs run on shoestring budgets, chook raffles and sponsorships from resource companies and the local businesses that supply these companies. What virtue-signalling, inner-city professional athletes call sportswashing is actually direct community benefit to struggling regional towns. Resources companies support regional communities with infrastructure such as pools, housing, libraries and sports facilities.</p><p>The world is transitioning to renewable energy, but we can't just snap our fingers and end the use of coal, oil and gas. The demonisation of energy companies is truly astonishing because without them we wouldn't have lights, heating, computers, mobile phones and myriad other First World conveniences. People can have views, but the views being expressed currently are extreme and ignore the fact of energy requirements in this country now and into the future.</p> <p class="speaker">Fatima Payman</p><p>Sport has the ability to bring communities together, to share a common purpose and to teach us all important life lessons. Our incredible Australian sporting heroes have a role to play in moving society forward. Players need to be heard on important matters and need to have avenues to voice their support for or dissatisfaction with any issues they have in the workplace. We need to make sure players are being listened to regarding issues in their sport, including sponsorship. The emerging issue of players speaking on their sport's choice of sponsor reflects broader conversations that Australians are having around the country on social, environmental and cultural issues.</p><p>This is, however, a matter for the individual sports and their governing bodies. What's important is our sporting environments should have modern Australian workplaces where athletes are entitled to collective bargaining and the ability to fight for wages and conditions. The Albanese Labor government's investment in sport is about getting more Australians involved in sport, bringing communities together, boosting the economy and supporting our elite athletes to pursue success on the global stage. We recognise the importance of sport being safe, fair and inclusive for all so that every Australian can feel the rush only sport can bring you.</p><p>Last month I had the honour of participating in a panel discussion run by the Bachar Houli Foundation's Girls Leadership program. We focused on the experience of Muslim women in leadership roles, the ups and downs they experienced and the importance of getting involved in community sport. The best part was hearing from young women, from all different backgrounds and all ages, about how much they love playing sport. It was remarkable and inspiring to see their resilience in the face of obstacles and their enthusiasm to be the change that they want to see in the world. They recounted how participating in sport helped improve their physical and mental health, develop their self-confidence, establish their place in society and build leadership skills. I'm not much of an athlete myself, but I do know how important sport is to the communities we represent and how it brings people together and improves people's confidence and their engagement in the community.</p><p>This is an important period for Australian sports. We bring together Australia's sport community and celebrate the upcoming green-and-gold runway of major sporting events in the lead-up to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. We have an incredible opportunity to unite, inspire and build Australia through sport. It will provide us with wonderful opportunities to boost and inspire more community participation right across the nation.</p><p>Regarding the urgency motion moved by Senator McKim, these matters are for the sports clubs and their governing bodies, but I stress again that it is important for us to remember that our sporting environments are still workplaces. Our incredible Australian athletes, like any other worker, should have a say in their workplace environment and conditions.</p> <p class="speaker">David Pocock</p><p>As has been pointed out, Australians love their sport. Climate change is threatening our way of life in Australia and it is affecting sport. This is happening now. Sport is already feeling the effects of climate change. I think it's really important to remember that in the context of this debate on this urgency motion. We are seeing sporting clubs not being able to insure against bushfire or flood damage and we are seeing pitches being too hard to play on during droughts. This is having an effect already.</p><p>We hear the arguments for fossil fuel sponsorship in sport. You do need sponsors in sport. That's clear. Professional sports and community sports often rely on it. But fossil fuel companies represent only 3.5 per cent of sport and business partnerships, so this is not an insurmountable challenge. Clearly a lot of sports are working on this.</p><p>It's curious that many of these fossil fuel companies do not sell a product to consumers, so clearly this is about social licence. The concern of athletes is that they are being used to extend the social licence of an industry when many of those companies have no plans of winding down and transitioning. That's the concern. We're not saying turn off the tap on fossil fuels today; we're saying that we need to be part of a transition, and many of these companies who sponsor sport don't have a plan.</p><p>I'm out of time, but I do want to point out that this is the first time the Greens have mentioned fossil fuel sponsorship of sport. There is not adequate time to debate something like this before putting it to a vote in the Senate. This warrants much more debate. I am disappointed that we're going to hear a minute or two from senators and then we will vote on this. <i>(Time expired)</i></p> <p class='motion-notice motion-notice-truncated'>Long debate text truncated.</p>-
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