New South Australian tourism minister Leon Bignell has conceded the state government could revisit the thorny issue of Lance Armstrong's appearance fees.
Armstrong's downfall has focused attention on the taxpayer money that SA paid for him to race at the Tour Down Under from 2009-'11.
He started his much-publicised cycling comeback at the race.
The state government has always refused to reveal how much Armstrong was paid, saying it remains a commercially-sensitive matter.
The figure is understood to be at least $1 million per year.
After Armstrong's doping confession last week, independent Senator Nick Xenophon said it was time for the government to reveal the amount of the payments.
When asked on Tuesday if the government could discuss the matter, Bignell told AAP: 'I think so.
'As someone new in ... I can see there's a need for commercial confidence for a lot of things,' he said.
'I will sit down and discuss that with the tourism people and my colleagues.
'It's one of those things - will it really make a difference or do we just move on?'
The more likely outcome is that Armstrong's fees will remain a secret.
Bignell said that whatever the government paid Armstrong, it was a smart investment.
His visits dramatically raised the international profile of the race and was a boost for local tourism.
Anti-doping scientist Michael Ashenden sees it differently, saying in the media this week that the government prostituted itself by paying an appearance fee for Armstrong.
Bignell, who was also appointed sports and recreation minister in a cabinet reshuffle, is a massive supporter of the Tour.
It is Australian cycling's biggest annual event and SA has the contract until at least 2015.
There are always rumblings about other states, particularly Victoria, trying to poach the Tour.
But Bignell is adamant that will not happen.
'I love it to death,' he said of the race.
'I would fight as hard as Stuart O'Grady fought at Paris-Roubaix (to keep it in SA).
'I will do everything that needs to be done to work with Mike (race director Mike Turtur) and Hitaf (SA tourism chief Hitaf Rasheed) - they have a great reputation throughout the cycling world.
'Whatever they need, I will be shoulder-to-shoulder with them.
'We want to make sure we cement this race. It's a great part of the state's calendar.'
Source: http://bigpondnews.com/articles/Sport/2013/01/23/Armstrongs_fees_could_be_reviewed_838453.html
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