Stephen Smith (Perth, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Industry, Infrastructure and Industrial Relations) Share this | Hansard source

Members would be aware of the tremendous success that Australia’s national hockey teams, the Hockeyroos and the Kookaburras, have had over the last 20 years, whether that has been at the Olympics, at World Cups, at Champions Trophy tournaments or at the Commonwealth Games. Hockey insiders know that very much of this tremendous national success is as a result of Hockey Australia’s High-Performance program, which since 1984—for the last 22 years—has been based at the Perth Hockey Stadium near Curtin University in Perth. Hockey Australia is now reviewing where the home of Hockey Australia’s High-Performance program will be, and I understand the Hockey Australia board will make a decision about this matter at its meeting at the end of November.

I am gravely concerned that the board will make a decision to move the Hockey Australia’s High-Performance program from Perth, where it is currently based. In Perth, where it has been for the last 22 years, it has access to great sports science through the Western Australian Institute of Sport, which has outstanding sports science capacity. The Western Australian government is strongly supportive of the program, as is Hockey WA and the Western Australian community, which has the nation’s highest per capita number of hockey participants.

I was very concerned to see during Senate estimates yesterday the Australian Sports Commission, and to a lesser extent the Minister for the Arts and Sport, essentially saying this was entirely a matter for Hockey Australia. It is extraordinary to me that neither the Australian Sports Commission nor the minister would see any national or public interest in where the Hockey Australia’s High-Performance program would be. To simply stand by and say this is entirely a matter for Hockey Australia is, to me, an abrogation of responsibility and puts at risk our continuing success as a nation in hockey at the highest level. I urge the Australian Sports Commission and the minister not to stand idly by but to take an interest in where Hockey Australia’s High-Performance program is situated.

I do not mount this argument because I happen to be from Perth. The program does not operate in my electorate. I mount this argument because I think our ongoing success as a nation in the sport of hockey is important, and that will be put at risk if, for no good reason, the program is moved from where it has been based for the last 22 years. I have heard two arguments as to why it might be moved. One is that a move to the eastern seaboard will allow greater corporate sponsorship. If there is to be any corporate sponsorship for hockey, it will not be as a result of where the program is based; it will be as a result of a brand name. The second argument is that more of the players now originate from the east. I do not care where Australian hockey players start; I care where they end—and I want them to end where they have been for the last 22 years: successful, high-performance performers at the national level bringing credit to our nation. (Time expired)

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