[Greens-Media] Every year there's more reasons to cut the Grand Prix loose - Pennicuik

[Amanda.Sharp at parliament.vic.gov.au]

Every year there's more reasons to cut the Grand Prix loose

Thursday 13 March 2014

"Every year the Grand Prix comes around reminding us of all the reasons to 
cut it loose," Sue Pennicuik, Greens MP for the Southern Metropolitan 
Region, said today.

"The first is the mounting costs to Victorian taxpayers. Since the event 
was first staged in 1996, the 'government contribution' or operating loss 
of the event, i.e., the cost to Victorian taxpayers adds up to around half 
a billion dollars and that doesn't include the millions in hidden costs," 
Ms Pennicuik said. "With the government making cuts to other budgets, this 
unacceptable - it has to stop."

When first elected the Liberal / National Government stated that the 
taxpayer subsidy was too high and that the event would not be continued 
unless costs came down. 

"Given that losses have been around $50 million for the last few years, 
another five year contract could see Victorian taxpayers forking out 
another $250 million dollars to prop it up," Ms Pennicuik said.

"There is no sign that costs for this hyper-expensive, anachronistic event 
can come down let alone will come down, so why is the Government even 
thinking of negotiating another contract that will continue to burden 
Victorian taxpayers.

"Footage of the Premier saying that the government is driving a hard 
bargain with F1 'supremo' Bernie Ecclestone is just farcical and 
embarrassing," Ms Pennicuik said. "It's also high time Victoria cut its 
ties with Mr Ecclestone, who is facing serious criminal charges in Germany 
and was scathingly criticised by a UK judge in a recent court case."

"Successive governments have cited the overseas TV audiences as a boon for 
Australian tourism - a claim which the Victorian Auditor General found no 
evidence to substantiate - but the government still trots it out every 
year," Ms Pennicuik said. 

"This year, Premier Napthine claimed that a TV audience of 450 million 
people watch the Melbourne Grand Prix, when it is 450 million people who 
watch all the races combined over a whole year!

"The Napthine government voted against my motion in state parliament to 
simply require the AGPC, which receives so much taxpayer money, to 
accurately record the attendees at the event - just like they seem to be 
able do very easily at the cricket, tennis and footy - instead of 
'estimating' attendances as it has always done. It is a scandal that it 
has been allowed to get away with this subterfuge for so long. 

"Lastly, but not least, the ongoing damage to and co-option of Albert 
Park, for months either side of the race is unacceptable. 

"The Government should show some guts, take the side of the public 
interest for once and say NO to the Grand Prix being staged in Victoria 
beyond the expiration of the current contract in 2015," Ms Pennicuik said.

For further comment: Sue Pennicuik: 0409 055 875

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Parliament of Victoria                                                                                                                    . 
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