Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

They say that you can't be what you can't see, and I couldn't be happier for young girls around Australia, who are today blessed with a multitude of female athletes at the very top of their sports. The Matildas had us up all night watching them at the World Cup in France, led by an electric Sam Kerr, who was recently named best international woman footballer for the second consecutive year. Meanwhile, Sally Fitzgibbons has been dominating a sport that's hugely popular in my electorate of Newcastle, fighting at the top of surfing's world rankings in a tight duel with Carissa Moore. Last month, Ash Barty became No. 1 in the world in women's tennis, the first Australian woman to do so since fellow Indigenous Australian Evonne Goolagong Cawley topped the WTA rankings in 1976. Forty-three years is a long time to wait, but the honour of being ranked No. 1 in the world couldn't have gone to a more deserving athlete. Congratulations, Ash. Then there's Hannah Green, who broke Australia's 13-year drought to become the third Australian woman to win a golf major, and our women's eight crew that won gold at the World Rowing Cup. I was thrilled to watch the Wallaroos open their test season with a 34-5 victory over Japan at Newcastle's No. 2 Sportsground earlier this month. Hundreds of young female rugby players from their local clubs watched from the sidelines in awe, as did many of the men's rugby clubs and fans from across the region.

I would also like to take this opportunity to say how proud we are of our Australian Netball Diamonds, who suffered a heartbreaking one-point loss to the Silver Ferns last week in the World Cup final. But they can, of course, hold their heads high. They remain absolute champions. As a member of the parliamentary netball team along with my colleague the member for Lalor here, I can say we're used to losses to our Kiwi sisters—although, truth be told, it's not usually within a point.

While these superstars deserve all the credit they get, it's important that we also acknowledge the teams that support all the athletes: the coaches, managers, nutritionists, families, friends and fans. What these elite athletes have proven is that there is a growing audience hungry for women's sport. Increased formal support will lead to increased success at all levels. In a world where equal pay between genders in sport is always argued in terms of commercial investment and market size, these Australian women are overdelivering and outgrowing expectations. As Karina Keisler of Cricket Australia recently argued in The Sydney Morning Herald:

Saying players shouldn't be paid because they don't bring in the money is punishing them for historical under-investment.

More and more Australians are turning to women's sport, captivated by both talent and spirit. Indeed, a Nielson survey last year found that Aussies were tuning in to women's sport because they found it more inspiring than the men's equivalent. State-of-the-art facilities are becoming available, and I am pleased that there is bipartisan support around the construction of a multimillion dollar investment for a new permanent home for our Matildas.

But I look forward to the day when the Matildas don't have to deliver pizza or drive an Uber to make ends meet while playing professional football. Australian women are flying high in their chosen sports; they should be getting paid properly, too. Investing in women's sport can only deliver a greater return, giving women athletes more goals to kick, more boundaries to clear, more stadiums to pack and more prime TV slots to fill. If we back in our women athletes with a better commitment to gender equality in everything we do in sport then we will succeed time and time again. Then we can keep watching as young girls today sitting in the stands, watching at home or picking up a ball, board or racquet do exactly the same.

There will be many opportunities for further glory in the coming weeks and months, but nor now I want to give a big shout-out to the Australian 4x200 metres and 4x100 metres women's relay teams for winning gold at the swimming world championships. Indeed, one of those teams set a new world record. Next year, the Australian women's cricket team will compete at home in the T20 World Cup—and the world will be watching. Cricket has taken great strides towards greater pay equity recently, and I have no doubt that further sporting success will follow. With six out of every 10 Aussie kids taking up cricket today being female, the investment has already paid off. Success breeds success. I couldn't be prouder of all the female athletes currently smashing records and expectations worldwide.

That is why the Morrison Liberal government should be investing in local grassroots sporting projects, like the redevelopment of the No. 1 sports ground in Newcastle, so we can host women's cricket matches in regional cities like Newcastle, and the construction of competition-standard indoor netball courts for the Newcastle Netball Association. That is where it all starts. It is time we take gender parity in Australian sport seriously. (Time expired)

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