Invest In Our Future, Not Footy
It is time the Australian Federal Government reassess how taxpayer funds are allocated to special interest projects.
A report from Brain Tumour Alliance Australia reveals brain cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in Australians under 40 and the biggest killer of children from any disease. Despite no change in survival rates over the past 20 years, the cause remains woefully underfunded.
Brain cancer patients and carers rallied for increased funding earlier this week, placing hundreds of pairs of shoes on the lawns of Parliament House in Canberra as a stark representation of the lives lost to the disease.
The BTAA report shows brain cancer takes an $850 million toll on the economy, expected to rise to $3.2 billion annually by 2050 unless urgent action is taken. It calls for a $200 million investment over the next decade to support brain cancer research, trials, and specialists, plus $8.75m to fund 23 specialised nurses.
Meanwhile, the Government has already given three-times that amount to Papua New Guinea to develop a national PNG team for the NRL. The discrepancy is very telling of how sport is over prioritised in our national budget.
Political pundits and strategists might argue that for $600 million (officially classified as aid), PNG gets a footy team, and Australia gets a treaty for a security alliance in the Pacific. Not a bad deal, some would say. But it’s a slap in the face for the 2,000 Australians diagnosed with brain cancer every year. Where is their aid?
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Taxpayers should be aghast that they are subsidising an NRL team over Australians living with a crippling and fatal disease. Especially when, as a highly profitable corporate entity, the NRL possess multiple lucrative revenue streams – corporate sponsorships, broadcast rights, gambling outlets – that would allow them to develop international football teams without relying on the taxpayers.
Since the Australian people have paid for the NRL’s new team, it seems only fair the NRL shell out the $200-odd million for Australian brain cancer patients. After all, many of these patients are also footy fans who have paid to watch the games and bought merchandise to support their clubs. It’s no comfort having another team in the NRL by 2035 if brain cancer continues to kill thousands of Australians.
Meanwhile, NRL chairman Peter V’landys is busily financing an international expansion of the league, recently taking the game to Las Vegas to raise US interest in the sport. He is also preparing to potentially buy in to the struggling UK Super League, telling BBC the NRL was in a position to financially support expanding Super League from 10 to 14 teams.
If they have money for that, why is the Australian taxpayer expected to foot the bill for the NRL’s follies? It’s a disgusting show of corporate depravity to pocket millions in annual profit with one hand, then take government funds with the other to fund your pet projects.
For $600 million, we could fund brain cancer research for the next decade three times over, helping countless Australians and contributing to a worthwhile global medical effort; we could build affordable housing, fund public education, provide a wage increase for apprentices, offset ballooning HECS debts, relieve the pressure on our overwhelmed emergency services, assist first responders, the SES and rural fire brigades. There are any number of humanitarian causes to spend our money that would make a tangible difference, but fuck it, clearly PNG needs a footy team!
How much is a new football team worth?
It takes millions of dollars, years of planning, and a concerted effort by a dedicated governance board to raise a local club to national league status. These ventures are often funded by private investors but also benefit from government-subsidised sports grants aimed at developing local sporting communities.
In Australia, sport is big business and a significant contributor to the Australian economy, worth an estimated $14.4 billion to our GDP and generating more than $32 billion in annual sales. Its influence and cultural impact are undeniable. But those benefits come at a cost.
Even the staunchest NRL supporter/Australian taxpayer should be disconcerted, even outraged, by a political trade-off between a football team and the number one killer of children in our country. MADCAP Managing Director is a lifelong football fan and an avid supporter of the Brisbane Broncos, proudly representing the city he calls home. He is also highly critical of the decision to fund a new PNG team with taxpayer dollars at the expense of our long term national health.
“Football is a fantastic game in all its forms, be it league, union or soccer,” Stephen says.
“But nothing should take precedence over the health and wellbeing of the people living in our country, everyday Australians. They deserve better than this, especially those living with such a terrible disease, it seems unfair.
“The NRL is more than financially capable of funding these projects off their own back without relying on government handouts. It would be nice to see our government take a firmer stance and prove they can take care of their primary duties before investing in outside interests.”
Once again, Australia has shown its commitment to prioritising sport over nearly every other aspect of governing the country.
During COVID, there was more interest in making sure we didn’t miss a footy match than protecting the $3 billion live music industry that was summarily decimated by the pandemic. Billions are pumped into inefficient renewables rather than investing in feasible clean energy solutions, like fusion.
There is a national housing crisis, cost-of-living is untenable, and China is lurking on our doorstep, but hey, at least we have a new footy team to look forward to in ten years’ time. Even if we do all have inoperable brain cancer by then.
