Kate Ellis (Adelaide, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise this afternoon to bring to the attention of the Committee a fantastic event which was recently held in my electorate of Adelaide—that being the 2007 Australian multidisability lawn bowls championships. I had the good fortune to attend their presentation dinner.

Lawn bowls is on the cutting edge of implementing programs to ensure the inclusion of all people in the sport. Clearview Bowling Club, where this championship was held, in my electorate, has particularly taken an interest in a number of important measures to ensure that people with disabilities can enjoy their sport just as much as any other bowler at the club. Events like the 2007 Multidisability Championships, as well as the International Bowls for the Disabled, are what makes lawn bowls what it is today, which is a challenging, exciting and, importantly, inclusive game. It encourages people of all abilities to play to their best enjoyment and skill.

I have to add that the national lawn bowls coach, Jan Palazzi, took the opportunity to attend the multidisability lawn bowls championships and commented on the amazing standard of bowls which was on display. So anyone who thinks that these bowlers are in any way unable to compete with anybody else on the bowls field would be very surprised when they see them at work. It was a fantastic event. Players attended from South Australia, of course—and they did an exceptional job, I might add—as well as from Victoria, Queensland and New South Wales. For the first time ever, Tasmania sent one lone bowler to compete.

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