Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has hinted he may back Zed Seselja's proposal to upgrade Viking Park, revealing the ACT Senator has put forward a "strong case" to build a 10,000 seat venue in Canberra.
The Canberra Times can reveal Mr Frydenberg met Senator Seselja on Thursday to discuss funding for the project in Canberra's south.
"He came to see me yesterday," the Treasurer said.
"I'll leave further decisions for the appropriate time but he's made a strong case. But we've got to go through all our priorities and make decisions accordingly."
Asked specifically about budget funding for the ACT, Mr Frydenberg hinted that, "there will be projects that we're supporting and that will help boost the productive capacity of the ACT".
Labor Senator Katy Gallagher is reluctant to weigh into the sporting infrastructure debate, only saying the party was having "constructive discussions" with the ACT government.
The future of Canberra Stadium, the AIS Arena and Senator Seselja's plans for Viking Park have emerged as a key battleground for the upcoming federal election.
The stadium issue has been an ACT Legislative Assembly talking point for the past 13 years, starting when Senator Gallagher was the chief minister in 2009.
But the varying projects flagged over the years have been continually stalled at an ACT level, largely due to the lack of federal government investment interest.
Senator Gallagher claimed Senator Seselja's venue solution had come "too little, too late" for the capital, but did not offer any tangible alternative.
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"Infrastructure will rightly be a key issue at this election," Senator Gallagher said.
"Federal Labor is engaging in constructive discussions with the ACT government about how we can bring Canberra's infrastructure back up to speed in the short term and achieve outcomes that deliver for our community in the long term.
"Canberrans deserve an arena with the amenities to attract major sporting and music events - and they also deserve the economic benefits and job creation that flow from them.
"... While other candidates are making commitments based on their stadium thought-bubbles, the Federal Labor team is having constructive discussions with the ACT government so we can consider what the best short-term and long-term solutions are for our city.
None of the candidates have detailed how they would push for the AIS Arena to be reopened. Canberra's largest indoor venue has been closed for almost two years after Sport Australia, a federal government agency, deemed the fire hazard system unsafe and also raised problems with seating.
Independent candidate David Pocock backed plans for a new stadium and convention centre in Civic, while Kim Rubenstein said the need for "sporting infrastructure pales into insignificance when measured against Canberra's mounting housing crisis".
"Amidst a drastic 20 per cent increase in the Canberra median house price over the last year, rightly recognised as a housing crisis, Zed Seselja and David Pocock have decided it is time to undertake a stadium measuring competition," Professor Rubenstein said.
"The proposition that the election will be decided by a game of political one-upmanship is insulting to Canberran voters.
"During my community consultations, there was no mention of a need for a new sporting facility.
"That is not to say there isn't a need in Canberra for more sporting facilities. The real sporting infrastructure issue in the ACT is in all levels of women's sport.
"At the grassroots level, we have more local women's basketball teams than venues to play in. The Canberra Capitals, Canberra's most successful women's team, are forced to play in amateur venues in the absence of proper facilities. Neither stadium proposal has addressed these issues."
