Coker silent on sports funding

CORANGAMITE Labor MP Libby Coker has sponsored two sports clubs in her electorate that have been promised more than $900,000 if Labor wins the election.

Ms Coker’s register of interests lodged at Parliament House show she has sponsored Bannockburn Cricket Club and Portarlington Football Netball Club.

In the first week of the election campaign, she committed $350,000 from Labor to a redevelopment at Victoria Park, Bannockburn, that would benefit Bannockburn Cricket Club.

A fortnight later, she pledged $600,000 for a Portarlington Recreation Reserve upgrade, to benefit Portarlington Football Netball Club, and build new change rooms, improve lighting and install an electronic scoreboard.

Ms Coker did not respond directly to questions about why sporting clubs she had sponsored were earmarked for federal funding.

“I am proud to sponsor several sports clubs in our community, helping to deliver new uniforms and much-needed equipment for our local teams,” she said.

She also would not reveal the amount or timeframe of her sponsorship of the clubs in question.

Corangamite Liberal candidate Stephanie Asher has also made election commitments for a redevelopment at Victoria Park, Bannockburn, ($690,000) and Portarlington Recreation Reserve ($60,000).

Ms Coker has also sponsored sports clubs to which Labor has not promised funds during the election campaign.

Both parties’ promises have been in areas where voting data shows the result could be key to a Corangamite win.

The majority of Bannockburn voters have changed allegiances between the major parties at three elections since 2004, while a majority of Portarlington voters have picked the party that has won government at every election since 2004.