Page 430 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 21 February 1990
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Where is the Government's commitment to women's sport? I can continue with a list of areas in which we did something for sport in the first term of government, because we knew it was a priority. We believe that people should not only be spectators but also be part of a sport, and we took particular care to achieve this. Women were one of the targets, and we gave them as much importance as males. As we have seen today, women do not matter at all to this Government; they are not even allowed to answer questions directed to them. The support by our Government to women was extremely high, but I have not seen that from the Opposition. The travel assistance participation for the disabled to the Olympics was also organised by our Government, and I was very proud of the fact that there were equal numbers of men and women in this group.
As I said, with Mr Whalan as Minister for sport, a lot was done and a high priority was given to sport. I congratulate him on the very hard work that he did while in government. I would like to see the Opposition put its money where its mouth is.
MR STEFANIAK (4.03): This afternoon we have heard what amounts to a lot of drivel from the Opposition in relation to its great achievements in sport.
Mr Duby: Dribble? That's basketball talk.
MR STEFANIAK: I said drivel, not dribble. I will concede two things. It started the redevelopment of Bruce Stadium - we do not begrudge that at all - and when we were in opposition we were trying to work out the most cost-effective way of operating it. Also there was an initiative in relation to Glebe Park, but do not try to claim any credit for the police driver training track.
A member: Not Glebe Park.
MR STEFANIAK: They might have started that, but we finished it.
Mrs Grassby: We were trying to negotiate for the police driver training track for some time - do not worry about that - and we are still negotiating for it.
MR STEFANIAK: Work in relation to the police driver training track is in its early stages, Mrs Grassby, and that is very much an initiative of this Government. Mr Whalan said that sporting groups and people to whom he talked are very worried about this Government and its attitude to sport. That is hardly the message that Mr Collaery and I are getting as we talk to sporting groups. Indeed, quite a number of sporting groups and individuals were somewhat concerned about the performance of the former Labor Government. So you are kidding yourselves there as well.
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