Page 744 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 29 March 2006
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letters, correspondence and emails I have had have gone to all 17 members. So I am not sure what has happened there.
My large concern is in the area of health and fitness. The health of Canberra as a city is in part dependent on the government’s ongoing commitment to funding in the sport and recreation industry. I hear Mr Stanhope talking about increases to the sport and recreation budget. I was talking to Mr Stefaniak and wondered what the devil in that detail would be. Does it mean delivery of more enhanced and better frontline services or is this an administrative overhead cost that has just gone with CPI? Mr Stefaniak is going to talk about that later and say that the Chief Minister has got his figures a little wrong, which is a little concerning. He stands as de facto Treasurer of the ACT at the moment.
There is a real chance that the territory’s health bill will continue to grow. If the Stanhope government reduces the capacity of Sport and Recreation ACT to promote physical activity and healthier lifestyles and reduces the ability of sport and recreation organisations to deliver to the participants—and that is what I was alluding to: that, if this organisation is fragmented and spread across four wings, the central coordination will fall down; there will not be any—we will see a decreased level of input, not an increased level.
I talked about one particular example yesterday. I was astounded to hear that the kids at play program has been halved and will almost likely cease by year’s end. Kids at play was promoted with much fanfare, we might say, by this government. And rightly so. It seems ludicrous that the program is now going to end after only two years in operation. Late last year the then sports minister, Ted Quinlan, issued a press statement claiming the program was a roaring success and had reached more than 17,000 children from five to 12 years of age. That is a magnificent effort. Why would we be thinking possibly of canning this particular program? It is well on the way.
Mr Stanhope says that no decisions have been made. We all know in this place—and the community is not stupid either—that things have to be done in terms of getting ready and gearing for the budget. So that is why I was pleased to hear Mr Stanhope say the things he said this morning. I am confident that now that the community has spoken up we will see things like kids at play reinstated. The program was initiated by the government, as Labor apparently recognised the growing obesity epidemic in our community. A fantastic effort. Now we go and axe it. In its policy statement, the government said:
Labor believes that the best way to tackle the issue of childhood obesity is getting our kids out to play.
The obesity epidemic remains but kids at play has been axed. It just does not make sense. Slashing this program is another example of the government’s lack of commitment, I would say, to promoting a healthier lifestyle and thereby reducing the territory’s health bill. My concern, and the Liberal opposition’s concern, now is for many of the other health-promoting programs currently operated and funded by Sport and Recreation ACT.
One such program is actively ageing. Mr Speaker, I will not look at you when I say this, but we are all moving that way. You would know, being a jogger, a runner and someone that fights to keep fit, it is vitally important that we ensure that all citizens, but particularly ageing citizens, are well educated about the benefits of physical activity and
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