Page 2190 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 28 August 2007
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MR BARR: Thank you, Mr Speaker. I know that the opposition do not like to hear about those things. But this is an important debate. At the moment, being the only minister for education and minister for sport in the country, I have a unique opportunity to have a renewed focus on the quality of our physical education programs in our schools.
One of the major challenges we were facing was that so many of our primary schools were too small last year to have specialist physical education staff within a school community. One of the key obstacles to overcome in providing quality physical education programs is the ability to have specialist physical education teachers. By having primary schools within that range of 200 to 400 students we are able to bring to bear the resources that are necessary, together with the ability to pull in outside organisations such as Blue Earth and work collaboratively with the major sports.
I would like to acknowledge the work of the AFL and the rugby union—particularly through the Brumbies, the Vikings and the Canberra Raiders—for their involvement. The government is bringing together a range of the key stakeholders devoting additional resources—
Mrs Burke: Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The question was about decreasing funding.
MR BARR: The government is bringing together a range of the key stakeholders—
MR SPEAKER: Order, Mr Barr. Mrs Burke did ask a question about why the funding was reduced.
MR BARR: It is about sports funding, and I am responding directly to this.
MR SPEAKER: She asked why it was decreased.
MR BARR: We are bringing together additional partners to come to the table to address these issues.
The question in relation to sports grants is entirely separate from physical education in schools. We need to make that very clear. The sports grants amount sits at about $2 million each year. I am very pleased to advise the Assembly that last year we were able to fund nearly 90 per cent of applications that came through that grants round—the highest proportion of applications ever funded. We have partnerships through national league team funding, and performance agreements with the Brumbies, the Raiders and others. As well there is the money we provide to the AFL to provide role models at an elite level to encourage young people to participate in sport. (Time expired.)
MRS BURKE: I ask a supplementary question. That was nearly an answer. Minister, why have you taken decisions to cut funding for sports, given the long-term health impact of your decision?
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