Jeremy Rockliff

Premier of Tasmania



1 March 2020

Jane Howlett, Minister for Sport and Recreation

Where does Rebecca White stand on NBL?

The in principle agreements announced Friday, which pave the way for Tasmania to have its own NBL team for the first time in 25 years have been backed by the Glenorchy City Council Mayor, the opposition sports minister and a raft of stakeholders including tourism and hospitality, yet where does Rebecca White stand on the matter?

In yet another demonstration of the deep splinters in the Labor party, Ms White has used Facebook to question the deal, despite her sports spokesman Mr O’Byrne warmly welcoming it on Friday, along with every other stakeholder.

A Tasmanian NBL team will increase the profile of basketball in our state, creating genuine pathways from grassroots to elite level sport and benefiting home-grown talent in players, coaching and administration.

It will also generate huge social and economic benefits with significant investment, an economic injection of $102 million, and also the creation of around 1,200 jobs.

Ms White must now clarify whether she and Labor support the agreement, and its significant social and economic benefits it will bring to our whole state - or is this the start of a new Labor white-anting campaign.



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