Page 429 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 21 February 1990
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MR SPEAKER: That is not a point of order, Mr Berry. Please resume your seat. Please proceed, Mrs Grassby.
MRS GRASSBY: Sport can be very important in developing self-confidence and giving a sense of achievement. This is particularly needed among young women in our community. Unfortunately - and we have seen this done by the Opposition - they can be put into a group on their own and it can be thought that they do not need any help, that men can run everything.
The sad part about it is that they are put in with minority groups, such as people who are disabled and ethnic people who need help in this field. But this is a sporting country, and I think it gives them self-esteem and the opportunity to be part of the community so that they can participate as equals and leave behind their disadvantages. Not all women can be like Lisa Curry. Therefore, women need to be given a sports policy so that they are ranked equal with men. Our Labor Government was particularly concerned to focus on sports for the whole community, not just the elite athletes, and particularly for women. We would leave the elite athletes to the Federal Government which is doing a very good job with the AIS.
This Liberal Alliance Government will very shortly have been in office half the time that we were there. The complete lack of any sports policy stands in marked contrast with our achievements in government in relation to sports, which were carried out by Mr Whalan. Let me repeat some of the achievements of the Labor Government under Mr Whalan as Minister. Mr Whalan's first official function as Minister was to open a school softball championship in the ACT. Our Government contributed $150,000 towards the construction of an indoor hockey facility for Southwell Park. This is very important, as members know, because hockey is a significant women's sport, and our national team does extremely well.
Our Labor Government also contributed $100,000 as the first instalment on an indoor netball complex. We have all heard Mr Stefaniak and Mr Collaery talking about the 7,400 registered netball players in the ACT. The members opposite would not even know that netball has the greatest number of participants in Australia.
Mr Collaery: It was Mr Whalan who said that.
MRS GRASSBY: You would not know. He had to tell you. Our Government launched the "Spring into sport for recreation" promotion last September. This was aimed at the older adults, to encourage them to try a new sport or return to sport for recreation purposes. It was aimed particularly at women, to give them an opportunity so that they were not left out. Mr Whalan was also the co-host at a reception for the sixteenth national Australia soccer championships last September.
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