English not ruling out Govt support

PRIME Minister Bill English is making encouraging noises about future government funding for Team New Zealand, saying this campaign has restored New Zealanders’ interest in it.

Mr English said the America’s Cup yachting campaign turned out to be ‘‘an outstanding display of leadership, teamwork and technological mastery’’.

‘‘Kiwis’ interest in it has fluctuated a bit.

‘‘I think this competition has restored the sense it is about a couple of teams who aren’t dominated by the lawyers and financiers, but actually real sport. And that’s what I think has got New Zealanders back to watching it.’’

But he was not hurrying to get out the chequebook in anticipation of hosting the event, or to give Team NZ an assurance the Government would help stop key team members being poached by rival syndicates after the regatta.

‘‘Like anyone else, we don’t want to jinx it by getting ahead of ourselves.

‘‘I think the first discussion would be about how to celebrate it.’’

Asked if he was open to putting taxpayer funding into hosting the event in New Zealand or into Team NZ’s campaign, Mr English said it would be discussed later.

‘‘If we win, I imagine there will be some sort of discussion, but I have no idea what that discussion will be.’’

There are already reports of likely attempts to poach Team NZ crew, from the sailors to the designers.

After the 2013 cup, the Government put in $5 million to keep Team NZ together until it decided whether to mount another challenge.

No further taxpayer funding was put in, and no Government ministers went to Bermuda for the races.

Labour’s Trevor Mallard is the sole MP there.

Mr Mallard was sports minister in the Labour government that committed $36 million to Team NZ after 2007 for the 2013 campaign — funding National said it disagreed with but had to stick to after entering Government in 2008.

Labour leader Andrew Little said if New Zealand was hosting the cup, he would support ‘‘modest’’ government funding for it because of the economic benefits to New Zealand. — NZME