I welcome today’s announcement by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that it will start negotiations to continue televising South Australian National Football League (SANFL) football and other local sport beyond the current season.
 
This announcement is a pleasing response to last week’s resolution by the Senate, which I was pleased to sponsor with Senators from all other political parties, calling on the ABC to maintain its SANFL broadcasts.
 
This resolution followed a series of letters from many of South Australia’s federal MPs and the establishment of a Senate inquiry into ABC programming decisions.
 
I congratulate the ABC on hearing the concerns of thousands of South Australians and hope that these negotiations will result in broadcasts that encourage even greater enthusiasm for local footy.
 
SANFL football is exactly the sort of thing the ABC should be covering.
 
The ABC’s charter requires it to broadcast programs that contribute to a sense of national identity and reflect the cultural diversity of the Australian community.
 
Our one truly indigenous national game – Australian Football – is a particularly important part of South Australia’s and Australia’s culture, within which the SANFL competition is a cornerstone.
 
As South Australian fans tune into this weekend’s latest instalment of gripping SANFL finals action, we can hopefully do so in anticipation of even more to come next year. Long may it be so.