Andrew Leigh (Fraser, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) notes:

(a) that the 2012 London Olympics will take place from 27 July to 12 August and the Paralympics will take place from 29 August to 9 September, with London becoming the first city to host the modern Olympics on three occasions; and

(b) the diversity of the Australian team, comprising athletes from all parts of Australia;

(2) recognises the dedication and hard work of the extraordinary athletes that make up the Australian Olympic and Paralympic teams, and their coaches, friends and family;

(3) acknowledges the unique role played by the Australian Institute of Sport in preparing athletes for the Olympics and Paralympics; and

(4) wishes our athletes well in London.

Fraser is the sportiest electorate in Australia. In any Olympic sport, I would pit my electorate against the electorate of any other person in this place. Of course, it helps to have the Australian Institute of Sport.! But it is also true that Canberra has plenty of non-elite athletes. Over 40 per cent of the ACT public plays some form of organised sport. The nation's capital is also its sporting capital.

In my time as member for Fraser, I have had the pleasure of allocating Local Sporting Champions grants. Local Sporting Champions assists young athletes aged 12 to 18 with the costs of competing at state, national or international competitions. Over the past 18 months, I have been joined by swimmer Sally Foster and Hockeyroo Anna Flanagan to award Local Sporting Champions grants to individuals and sporting clubs in my electorate.

Sally, who lives in the Fraser electorate and trains at the Australian Institute of Sport, is competing in the 200 metres breaststroke at her second Olympic Games. Sally also has a special connection to the Olympics. Her great-aunt competed in the 1936 Berlin games. On the six-week boat trip over to Germany, she and the other swimmers trained by having someone hold their arms while they kicked their legs in the small pool on board the ship.

Anna Flanagan is heading to London as part of the Hockeyroos squad, playing in the position of full-back. Anna debuted for Australia against Korea in 2010 and has scored six goals in 56 international matches. She plays for the Canberra Strikers in the Australian Hockey League, and she is also studying journalism. So who knows—at some point after her hockey career is over we may see her in this place as a journalist covering the nation's politics.

The AIS is a terrific facility that has been producing great athletes for many years. I know there are many athletes who live and train at the institute, each with their own unique story. I want to wish each of those AIS athletes the best for the games.

London hosted the modern Olympics in 1908 and 1948. In 1939 it was granted the 1944 Games, but these were cancelled due to World War II. Had they held the Olympics in 1944, it would have been the 50th anniversary of the modern Olympics.

These Olympics will be held from 27 July to 12 August, followed by the Paralympics from 29 August to 9 September. It was a pleasure this morning to join the Prime Minister and the Minister for Sport, Kate Lundy, to farewell our Paralympians.

My own personal connection to the London Games is courtesy of a childhood friend, Bronwen Watson. Bronwen also trained at the AIS and is representing Australia in the women's lightweight double sculls. The winner of four world championships, she is one of the fittest and most dedicated people I know. I wish her all the best and hope that she manages to come home with gold. Her dedication and that of all of our athletes are examples of what individuals, with the support of others, can achieve. It is witnessing athletes achieving gold medals or, in some cases, simply participating, that makes the Olympics such a special event.

I also want to take this opportunity to acknowledge the dedication and sacrifice of coaches, families and friends. No athlete makes it to the games alone and they rely heavily on the support of those close to them. So, to those friends, families and support crews, I say: thank you. My favourite Olympic moment has to be Cathy Freeman's 400-metres victory at the 2000 Games: that look of steely determination and focus; that moment as she strode away to consolidate her lead as she came out of the final turn; the sight of her sitting on the track alone in a full stadium, the relief of having carried her own and a nation's expectations. For me that moment signified more than a nation celebrating the triumph of an individual athlete. For me it was also a great moment of unification between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, one based on rejoicing our shared histories and cultures. It is my favourite moment because in that symbolic sense it managed to get the combination of Indigenous celebration and pathos.

Every Olympic Games produces moments of heroism, humanity and humility. Proposed in 1894 by Pierre de Coubertin, its motto Citius, Altius, Fortius—Swifter, Higher, Stronger—will again be on display by our athletes at the Olympics and Paralympics. I wish them, and in particular those from the ACT, every success and the experience of a lifetime.

Kirsten Livermore (Capricornia, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is the motion seconded?

Jane Prentice (Ryan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I second the motion. I thank the member for Fraser for his motion today, which recognises the upcoming Olympic and Paralympics Games in London.

Every four years, we have the opportunity to watch Australia's and the world's best athletes compete against each other at the pinnacle of human physical achievement—the year when all other sporting events pale into insignificance. We are reminded of the unwavering commitment and exertion required to become the world's best and to win that coveted gold, silver or bronze medal. There are always stories that are so inspiring that you cannot help but cry in recognition of their achievement

This morning I was honoured to attend the Australian Paralympics team's launch ceremony in Parliament House. At this stage, there are 161 athletes going to London this year—the biggest team that we have sent to date. I met Dylan Alcott, who will be competing in the wheelchair basketball event this year and who has been paraplegic since birth. Dylan has truly battled adversity to lead a remarkable life. By the age of 17, he had already been part of an Australian team which won the gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and again, when he was 19, at the 2010 World Championship. I also wish University of Queensland student Bridie Kean golden success in the women's wheelchair basketball event. Bridie is yet another great ambassador and team captain, and spoke so eloquently at this morning's launch.

I was also fortunate to attend the St Peter's Western Swim Club's corporate relay and breakfast on 15 June at St Peter's Lutheran College in Ryan. At such a critical time in the lead-up to the games, I would like to thank all the Olympic swimmers including Mitch Larkin, Stephanie Rice, Nick D'Arcy, Kendrick Monk and Leisel Jones for taking time out of their busy schedules to support the Starlight Foundation. A big thank you also to Phil Di Bella, who matched donations on the day dollar-for-dollar so they were able to raise more than $17,000 for such a worth while charity.

Of course, we should also record a huge thank you to all of the administrators, volunteers and athletes' family members who make such an enormous contribution to a successful Australian Olympic and Paralympics team. It is mothers like Judy Larkin, who called just the other day for an Australian flag to take over to London, who invest so much effort and dedication to ensure their children can grow up with the opportunity to represent our country.

Australians would not excel in sport both domestically and on the world stage if it were not for the hard work of the Australian Institute of Sport, the Australian Olympic Committee and the Australian Paralympics Committee. Every year, the AIS offers hundreds of scholarships to athletes to attend the sports training institute, so that participants in 36 programs across 26 sports can use the services of skilled coaches, world-class facilities and other cutting-edge sports science and medicine services. The AIS has a reputation for being one of the best high-performance sports institutions, and our sporting community owes much to their team.

I extend my appreciation to Mr John Coates AC and all members of the team at the Australian Olympic Committee for their unremitting dedication to Australia's participation and success at the Olympic Games. As Chief Operating Officer, Mr Craig Philips mentioned the preparation for the 2012 London Olympics began in 2005 when the decision to host the Olympics in the UK was announced. All athletes go through a very extensive process to be officially selected for the games, and it is the work that we do not see at the AOC that goes a long way to a smooth games event for Australian athletes.

I also would like to recognise Mr Jason Hellwig and all the members of the Australian Paralympics Committee. At the launch this morning, Mr Hellwig said he was confident Australia can achieve enough gold medals to remain among the top Paralympics sporting nations in the world despite half of the team being made up of debutants.

Both Olympic and Paralympics teams are looking at the ultimate goal of being in the top five for both the gold and aggregate medal tallies. We will face some very tough competition this year from traditional rivals, including China, the United States and the United Kingdom. Every Australian will be cheering for all our sportsmen and women, and I wish both teams and all our athletes all the very best.

I remind Australians that the first time the Australian flag ever flew was at the 1908 London Olympics where we won the first gold medal for the rugby union.

Shayne Neumann (Blair, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I speak in support of the motion of the member for Fraser. He and I are running partners along with you, Madam Deputy Speaker Livermore. Running around Canberra, I can ensure you that our efforts are in no way Olympian—although we do our very best.

The Ipswich hockey complex recently displayed a banner which said 'Good luck in London Hockeyroos and Kookaburras'. Hockey is a sport in which Australia has excelled. Australia has been in love with the Olympics since Edwin Flack was the first athlete to represent Australia. He won gold in both the 800 metres and 1,500 metres at the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. Athens, like London, has hosted the Olympics on more than one occasion.

We wish our Olympians and Paralympians well. Australia has excelled in sport and, for a country of about 22 million, we certainly have punched above our weight. When we hosted the Olympics we came third and fourth in Melbourne and Sydney. There are many sports in which Australia has done well. Hockey is one sport in which we have done particularly well. Our women's basketball team has also done well in recent years. Athletics is another sport which, in its early days, Australia did well in. Who could forget Betty Cuthbert and her efforts? Australia also does well in swimming. I hate to say it, but the member for Fraser is wrong; Queensland is the sporting state which has really been the place to be, because many, many times, swimmers from other states at national championships have seen that maroon cap and have wilted, just like New South Wales do in the State of Origin—and will do so shortly!

I want to mention a couple of athletes, particularly from Queensland. A girl from the Gold Coast who won silver at the Beijing Olympics is Sally Pearson, who is the current world champion in the 100-metres hurdles. She has not always had an easy life, but with courage and determination she succeeded. Who could forget the delight on her face when she realised she had won the silver medal?

The other person who seems to have been around forever but is my personal favourite when it comes to swimming is Liesel Jones, a girl from Brisbane. With grace, humility and determination, she has been a wonderful success story for such a long period of time. She seems to have been there forever in our swim team. Liesel has won eight medals: three gold, four silver and one bronze. She is in the company of Ian Thorpe, Dawn Fraser, Petria Thomas and Susie O'Neill—and she is there again. I am hoping that she will win a gold medal to bring her up to the elite company of Ian Thorpe, who has nine medals: five gold, three silver and one bronze. If she gets one medal over there, she will be up there with Ian Thorpe. She is another great girl from Queensland.

I also want to pay tribute to the women's basketball team. I urge them to and hope that they will break the drought. They have been silver medallists for the last three Olympics against their fierce rivals, the Americans. I hope that Lauren Jackson, who in my view is the best women's basketball player ever, will lead them to victory. The Americans have frustrated us on various occasions. We have got the better of them in one world championship, but I think we really are well placed this time to beat the Americans finally. I hope they break the drought and make sure they bring home the gold medal. It would be a fitting tribute for Lauren, who burst onto the scene as a centre forward in 1998 at the young age of 17. In those days she was quite gangly and a bit awkward in the way she shot and played, but she is a powerhouse in the women's NBA and a great ambassador for us across the globe. When she has played in Russia or in America she has been known, and when she played for the Canberra Capitals—and I have to say that it is a pity she was not playing for a Queensland team—she led them to victory on many occasions.

My home town of Ipswich is a great sporting capital. We have produced the likes of the Langers and the Walters. At one stage we had the whole front row of the Australian rugby league team! The Olympics have never been quite our thing; we have been more into ball sports in Ipswich, but we are really behind them. I know the people of Ipswich and the people of Somerset will be watching keenly. I find it hard every four years: with only the exception of the world cup soccer, I think I get the most distracted by the Olympics. We wish the Olympians and the Paralympians well and thank them for their wonderful contribution to our sporting life.

Steve Irons (Swan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to support the motion by the member for Fraser and to add a Western Australian flavour to this particular debate. The member for Blair mentioned hockey. Western Australia has not only punched well above its weight in the economy for a long time but also punched well above its weight in hockey circles.

I was honoured to attend the Australian Paralympic team announcement here in the Great Hall. It was fantastic to hear that Colin Harrison from my electorate of Swan was selected, but I will go into further detail on that later. With just 65 days to go until the opening ceremony for the London Paralympic Games, our talented Olympic and Paralympic sportsmen and sportswomen selected to represent Australia are working hard to prepare for the Olympics and Paralympics.

In my speech I will focus mostly on the Paralympians. Our team of over 160 dedicated athletes will compete in 13 different sports over 11 days. As President of the Australian Paralympic Committee, Greg Hartung, said at today's launch, later this year we will see London host what is expected to be the largest and most competitive Paralympic Games ever. With the London Paralympic Games expected to reach an audience of three billion people, our Australian athletes will well and truly be on the world stage. The Australian Paralympic Committee's vision for the games is 'inspire and excite'. I believe this is very fitting.

As Australians we have always found ourselves inspired by those who push themselves to find success and achieve. Our athletes have done just that and are an inspiration to Australians everywhere. I will be one of the many Australians excitedly watching the games and sharing in our athletes' struggles, joy and achievements over the course of the games. I hope all my colleagues in this place and all other Australians join together to support and cheer on our Australian team. I think the running of the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot on Saturday night, when the nation watched Black Caviar win, was a warm-up for these two events.

Australia's continued commitment to the Paralympic Games rings true with our Australian values. Our Aussie athletes have overcome significant adversity to achieve their goals, and every one of them has shown immense dedication to their chosen sports for many years. Our Paralympic team comprises athletes competing at an elite level. With their selection, they have demonstrated commitment, dedication and a will to achieve. Our athletes should be commended. It is not only an honour to represent our great country but an enormous honour to bring back medals through individual and team efforts which are a tribute to Australia's continued achievement in the international sporting arena. It is our athletes' high performance in their chosen fields, and not their disabilities, which defines them.

I would also like to acknowledge the incredible team of support staff who will be assisting our athletes. There will be 140 officials, carers and support staff attending the games with our athletes. The high cost of care for some of the athletes makes competing difficult for many athletes. In total, 36 high-care athletes will be competing as Australian Paralympians.

Australia has a rich history of participation in the Paralympic Games. Australia was one of the 23 countries who in 1960 competed in the first recognised Paralympic Games in Rome, Italy. Australia also played host to the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games, which were heralded by Dr Robert Steadwood, then President of the IPC, as the best games ever. A total of 3,843 athletes from 125 different countries competed in the Sydney games, with the Australian team claiming the top spot with an astounding 149 medals.

I again acknowledge Colin Harrison, of Victoria Park in my electorate of Swan, who has been selected as part of Australia's Paralympic sailing team to compete at the 2012 games. It is a fabulous achievement, and I have every faith that Colin will do the Swan electorate, the state of WA and our country proud. I would also like to acknowledge the four other incredibly talented Western Australian athletes selected to represent Australia in the London 2012 Paralympics. Nigel Barley, Darren Gardiner, Madison de Rozario and Brad Scott will also be part of the Australian team. It is a great honour to represent their country and I, along with many other Australians, will be cheering for them.

All Britain should take note, particularly after the loss this morning to Italy. I wish all success to our Olympians and Paralympians.