docbrown
Coach
- Messages
- 11,842
As long as we agree that Paul Murray is a shit stain and should never be quoted.The point was that there will be push back on the proposed funding of an NRL team and that's because " opposition " on either side will always oppose the other side..as is politics.
I'm not a an AFL fan but it was interesting to see that a new AFL stadium for Tasmania in AFL heartland for a new AFL team to me seemed reasonable...yet even within that state that is purely AFL heartland was met with such staunch opposition!
You can only imagine the opposition we'll face from AFL states to not only invest so heavily in the NRL but not even in our country...
If anyone thinks that this will slide right through once it's formally proposed are kidding themselves.
At this stage it's all talk, if it becomes an actual chance... it will be a storm on negative backlash like nothing you've seen.
Of course there will be pushback about PNG. Or funding for a stadium in Tasmania, Sydney or Perth. That's politics. That said, the most vocal critics against foreign aid spending can't usually point to places like Papua New Guinea on a map. They usually cry "We have to look after our own first!" Then those same assholes vote against policies to help poor Australians too. Deep down, they just don't give a shit about anyone other than themselves.
Who knows what will happen with PNG? My hunch is IF it ever gets announced - IF - then it's also announced with some kind of agreement from the PNG government saying that no foreign power can set up a military base and/or host foreign militaries etc for a very long time.
So when those naysayers start whining, the counterargument will be that the naysayers who want to tear up the agreement want a Chinese naval or air force base in PNG. Which obviously isn't true. No sane Australian wants that. But that will be the argument because that's what the NRL team is for - to buy PNG's loyalty.
i.e. If you hate the PNG NRL team then you're pro-China. Just wait and see.