Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Minister for Health) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Swan for his question about an important area, children's physical activity, and also for his chairmanship of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Health and the inquiries he is doing that really do feed into our policy area. On the question of health, physical activity and Sporting Schools, this program starts in terms three and four of this year. Registrations are open for interest until 26 June. Any primary school, club or coach in a community can register their interest. Importantly, this is about $100 million of federal government investment over 18 months and will really make a difference to children's activity. It is a strong statement by this government that we believe in getting children off the couch and in the role that exercise plays in happier, healthier lives.

I note that members of the opposition are here and I also note that they funded a predecessor to this, the Active After-school Communities program—something that was introduced by the Howard government and was a very strong program—but committed no funding past the end of 2014. This, effectively, is the only funding either side of parliament is putting up that really says, 'We want to make a difference.' I challenge and invite the Labor Party to let us know what they think of our Sporting Schools program and how they believe they should provide something equivalent and useful.

This is a program where every school can choose the sport that they want the children to participate in. The member for Swan mentioned golf. Golf is one of the sports but so are NRL, basketball, netball, AFL, athletics and so on. Pretty much everything that a school would choose to do as a sport can be picked up through Sporting Schools. The key—I think exciting—part of this program is that you do not have to do it after school or before school, so parents do not have to factor that in. You will know that your school will choose the ideal time. It might be before school or after school, but it also can be during school. The flexibility that schools have to deliver this program in their communities how, and dedicated to which sport, it suits them is going to be one of the great secrets of its success. All the evidence tells us that children who develop healthy habits early in life are more likely to retain them as they get older. We want primary school kids to enjoy sport, to learn skills, not just do drills, and to take that love of sport with them for life.

From the schools to the club environment this initiative will help create healthy links between children, schools and clubs so that our kids actually do develop healthy habits and can continue to engage in sport throughout their lives. We know that, while children are often active young, in their adolescent years sport often drops away, particularly as the stress of study takes over. Then they might move to go to university and, in their late teens and early twenties, find themselves in a completely different environment. To have the ability to connect with their sport of choice in the club of that particular community in a way that is meaningful, because of their history in the sport from their childhood, really does have an impact on their social and emotional development and most importantly on their fitness.

No-one is able not to participate in this program. I would encourage every primary school to consider what sport or sports they would like to be involved in, to have a look at the website sportingschools.gov.au and to find out how they can participate in their community. I am delighted that 70 per cent of all of the funds that we are allocating for this program—and that is $100 million over 18 months—will go in grants directly to schools.

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