Independent Member for Denison Andrew Wilkie proposed a question to Turnbull in today’s question time session asking about his enthusiasm in introducing a Tasmanian A-League team.

Turnbull encouraged Wilkie to continue to advocate for the project joking about “Wilkie’s Wanderers”.

The project would include refurbishing North Hobart Oval which will be proposed as the expansion club’s primary stadium, but would temporarily play at Bellerive Oval.

“There’s no doubt soccer is a large and growing force in Australia and the honourable member knows well the question of which football teams will form part of the A-League expansion is a matter for the FFA,” Turnbull said during Question Time.

“I’m advised the FFA will be providing all the interested parties with more details of the framework for this expansion in the first quarter of next year. I encourage the honourable member to continue his advocacy for an A-League team in Tasmania.

“I believe we understand sport and local infrastructure, the infrastructure that supports the sport and communities provides a wonderful rallying point, that’s why we are supporting local infrastructure in Tasmania.

“The North Hobart Oval improvements which the honourable member is referred to is eligible for the building better regions fund and indeed the project the fund aims to support, applications for the fund open in January next year.”

Wilkie subsequently sent out a release in response to Turnbull’s support.

“I welcome the Prime Minister’s continuing awareness, and what I sense is a genuine interest, in a Tasmanian A-League team as evidenced by his response to my question in Parliament today,” Wilkie’s statement said.

“Moreover I was pleased to hear the Prime Minister’s suggestion that the proponents for the redevelopment of North Hobart Oval consider applying for funding to the new Building Better Regions Fund when applications open in January.

“Indeed the Prime Minister went so far as to say that the redevelopment is just the sort of project for which the fund is established to support.

“I will continue to look for every opportunity in the Parliament to advocate for the establishment of a Tassie A-League team because, as I said in my question to the PM, it would be a wonderful rallying point for the community, inject millions of dollars into the economy, establish soccer as the only true national football code, and boost TV audiences.”