Labor to double govt funding

18 November 2007 | 20:26 - SBS

ARTICLE

Federal Labor has unveiled plans to pump $32million in to football over the next four years and also add the Socceroos' World Cup qualifiers to the anti-siphoning list - which should see the Australian national team back on free-to-air TV.

:: VIDEO - [epl1377|30|Senator Kate Lundy on TWGepl]

Speaking EXCLUSIVELY to SBS TV's The World Game, Senator Kate Lundy, Shadow Minister for Local Government and Sport, Recreation and Health Promotion, detailed Labor's spending on football.

"Labor is committing $32million towards football in Australia," Senator Lundy said.

"This will include four elements. The first element is of course supporting grass-roots local clubs with a facilities fund."

"The second element is supporting our national teams."

"The third element is supporting a televised national women's league, and the fourth element - very importantly - is supporting our coaches, administrators, referees and volunteers through both education and recognition programmes."

Senator Lundy also confirmed that Labor would 'support' FFA's bid to host the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

"We do support that bid. We think it would be a fantastic outcome for Australia," Senator Lundy said.

"We are not in a position to put any numbers to that at this stage, but obviously if we are in Government we will be in a position where we have to come to terms with what that commitment will look like pretty quickly."

Much of the money pledged by Labor will go towards FFA's National Football Development Plan aimed at 'Making Australia a World Leader in the World Game', which Senator Lundy called 'a very important vision'.

"This funding will be guided at least in part by the aspirations of that forward thinking that the FFA has put out in their strategic development plan."

The Liberal Party have recently announced plans to put $16million over four years into football.

Both Labor and the Liberals are also committed to paying $2.25million per year in to the sport in government grants.

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