Australians worry about political slogans on shirts

Australia's federal Sports Minister George Brandis has criticised a sponsorship of a junior football club which will result in children wearing shirts featuring political slogans. Unions Western Australia has struck an A$8,800 sponsorship deal with the Tuart Hill Soccer Club in Perth's north, which will see players aged between six and 15 wearing uniforms carrying the slogan, 'Your Rights at Work'. Unions WA secretary Dave Robinson denied claims it is inappropriate for children to carry the slogan, describing the union sponsorship as no different to a normal commercial sponsorship.

Senator Brandis said the club's players were being used to carry political propaganda. "This is unacceptable. It is sick to be requiring school kids as a condition of playing sport to be carrying political propaganda on their jerseys ... I think people as a matter of common sense can tell the difference between ordinary commercial advertising and political propaganda. I think most Australians would accept that a line has to be drawn between the two - that you don't use kids unwillingly to carry political propaganda," he told media.