Fiona Martin (Reid, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

What a waste of taxpayers' time for the Labor Party to conduct themselves in this way—disgusting.

I'm here to talk about the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority Amendment (Sport Integrity Australia) Bill 2019. It could be said that my electorate of Reid is the heart of sport in Sydney. Reid is home to Sydney Olympic Park, where everyone from the youngest soccer players up to Olympians train and compete. My electorate has hosted the Sydney Olympics, the NRL grand finals, the Invictus Games, the Sydney International tennis tournament, the Australian Masters and a whole range of professional sporting competitions. We've got professional training facilities for swimming, hockey, cricket, tennis, rugby, athletics—and the list goes on. Sydney Olympic Park contributes more than $1 billion to the New South Wales economy each year.

I am passionate about sport and its benefits to all Australians and understand that Australians expect sport to be conducted fairly and under regulated conditions. The establishment of Sport Integrity Australia will consolidate work currently undertaken by the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority, the National Integrity of Sport Unit within the Department of Health and aspects of Sport Australia. Following the Wood review, the Morrison government committed to taking action on a number of recommendations to improve integrity across professional sporting bodies. As part of this response, the government introduced this bill to the House in the previous parliament. With the election delaying this bill, further consultation has been undertaken with stakeholders in the public and private sectors, to enhance how Sport Integrity Australia will be able to work with other government agencies to conduct investigations. Sport Integrity Australia will have the capacity to investigate a range of matters, including doping, match fixing, illegal betting and corruption in sport. Australians hold sport at the centre of our national identity, and this regulatory body will ensure that players are able to participate in fair and equal conditions and spectators are able to respect competitive sport.

I want to take this opportunity to highlight a number of other ways that we support sporting communities in Reid. During the election, the Morrison government committed $5 million towards the establishment of a new home for New South Wales cricket at Sydney Olympic Park, with indoor and outdoor training facilities for all cricketers, from community clubs to professional teams such as the Sydney Sixers. Only a couple of weeks ago I had the privilege of conducting the bat toss at the Women's Big Bash League derby between the Sydney Thunder and the Sydney Sixers at Drummoyne. The new facilities at Sydney Olympic Park will ensure that female cricketers have their own facilities just like the male cricketers have. If we want to drive equality in sport, we need to make sure women at all levels of competition have access to the same facilities as men, and I commend New South Wales cricket for making this a priority.

During the campaign, I also announced funds to support enhanced facilities for Drummoyne Water Polo Club. Located at Drummoyne swimming pool, this club has produced many national and international champions. The Morrison government is also backing in the Wests Tigers, whose home ground at Concord Oval is just up the road from my electorate office. The Tigers are at the heart of our community, and our announcement of $5 million towards the redevelopment of Concord Oval will help more local rugby league players make the jump to a professional club. The redevelopment will include high-performance training and rehabilitation facilities; sports science, medical and conditioning facilities; aquatic recovery and hydrotherapy pools; education facilities, including integrated learning spaces, classrooms and lecture facilities; and multisport community facilities and sport and social spaces.

Professional sport is a great way to connect with the community, and we also announced $1 million for the establishment of a new CUBS program, to connect with multicultural communities in Reid through sport. By encouraging new migrants and isolated communities to engage with sport, we are encouraging greater social cohesion in our area. The Tigers demonstrate that our community expects professional sports men and women to be role models for younger and more vulnerable Australians, and sporting organisations are now taking an active role in ensuring that their clubs and players are good examples for these groups. Across my electorate we have begun work on a number of upgrades to sporting facilities, to encourage more kids and families to get involved in sport. Blair Park, Timbrell Park, Cintra Park, Strathfield Park and Goddard Park have all received funding to benefit sporting clubs such as the Strathfield Strikers, the Concord-Burwood Wolves, the Inner West Netball Association and local school sporting groups.

Any family with a child who plays sport at a competitive level knows how quickly the costs can build up, with equipment, travel, uniforms and registration fees being costly for families.

On a smaller scale, we're supporting some of our youngest high performance athletes through the Local Sporting Champions grants, providing financial assistance for young sporting competitors travelling to compete interstate or overseas. I'd like to take this opportunity to acknowledge our latest sporting champions in Reid. I'd like to acknowledge: James Slade, for his ability in squash; William Slade, also for squash; Cecelia Addabbo, for volleyball; Summer Giddings, for athletics; Lucy Palmer, for volleyball; Lawrence D'Mello, for weightlifting; Rio Agustino, for badminton; Angelina Lee, for flying disc; Angie Le Roux, for athletics; Alex Woolley, for skiing; Charlotte Gates, for water polo; Samuel Vickery, for volleyball; and Nathan Stanmore, for athletics.

Sporting communities at all levels play an important part in keeping Australians healthy, active and connected. Local players look to the professional leagues for role models, and the introduction of Sport Integrity Australia will help to uphold the high standards that Australians have for sports men and women, as well as the teams that they represent. I welcome the introduction of Sport Integrity Australia to strengthen fairness, integrity and equality in all levels of sport in Australia.

See this speech in context