Scott Buchholz (Wright, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) recognises the role that the Australian Parliament House Sports Club, under the stewardship of Andy Turnbull, plays in promoting sport and fostering international relations development and friendship as part of a worldwide movement;

(2) notes the:

(a) Australian Parliament House Sports Club is part of a global network which connects with like-minded democracies and unites the world through sport, such as the cricket team visiting the United Kingdom and the rugby team visiting France this year;

(b) combined health benefits, both physical and mental, that sport supports, especially in the workplace, by encouraging participation in sport for people of all abilities with a view to improving fitness, health and enjoyment; and

(c) professional and bi-partisan manner, in which the Australian Parliament House Sports Club conducts itself; and

(3) acknowledges that sport is a true global unifier and a successful vehicle for diplomacy, through inclusiveness, gender equity and the participation of people of all abilities.

It gives me great pleasure to get to my feet and acknowledge the amazing work conducted not only in this place but on the international scene by a gentlemen who's little known to the Australian public but well known to members and senators in this House. Andy Turnbull, of the Australian Parliamentary Sports Club program, is worthy of acclamation and worthy of the great affirmation and praise that I am about to bestow on him.

Andy is the coordinator of the parliamentary sports program, and we, in this place, know all too well the role that sport plays on the international scene in uniting nations not only in the Commonwealth but also on the global scene, particularly through the examples of Olympic sportsmanship. Sport has the capacity to merge cultures. There's no greater 100-metre race than seeing the Americans, Chinese and Russians all competing, with athletes taking the victorious gold, silver and bronze medals but coming together, united under the platform of sport. Not only does it unite the world; it unites our parliament. The bipartisan environment that exists in this parliament around a number of sports is worthy of note. It doesn't only exist in this House. We also have members of the parliamentary sports program that travel from the different state jurisdictions around this great nation.

We just heard from the previous speaker, the member for Solomon, that rugby is the game played in heaven, and we'll be taking a rugby squad to France to play curtain-raisers for the World Cup. That squad will consist of men and women from state and federal parliaments—both sides of the House and senators. We'll travel to France, and we'll probably tag team with our Australian cricket team, who'll be there a few months before us, playing cricket against an English squad. But I'll get back to the rugby. There are seven squads in the competition: the Australian government; the New Zealand government; the French government, who, of course, will be hosting; a Lions squad, which is the Irish government and the UK House of Commons and Senate; the South African government; the Argentinian government; and the Japanese government.

The relationships that exist in that environment, where you get to meet parliamentarians from around the world from both sides of politics, are nothing short of inspiring. This is not a phenomenon that exists only in Australia, but the parliamentary sports club exists to foster international relationships and develop those friendships as part of a worldwide movement. Members participate in a number of sporting events throughout the year, including cricket, football, golf, rugby, netball, tennis and many other sports.

I also want to acknowledge the amazing work that Andy does with the women in sports program. For the last 10 years, Andy has showcased women in sport. He has brought the Diamonds to the parliament, and, if the women haven't been here, they've been down at the Hyatt, where he has run functions. We've seen the female rowers who brought back gold from the Olympics. He has promoted the Australian female soccer team. He was at the forefront well before it was sexy to be doing that. Andy Turnbull was a pioneer in this place. The other thing it does—and the member for Solomon touched on it—is foster wonderful relationships with our Pacific islanders. I should have always been the Pacific islanders minister because not only do I speak rugby but I'm also their size.

Andy Turnbull, thank you for the amazing work that you do for the parliamentary sports program. May you always have strength in your arm to continue to conduct this well-received initiative, notwithstanding the amount of money that you give to charities around the world. Andy Turnbull, you are worthy of notoriety and affirmation. Keep up the great work.

Terry Young (Longman, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is there a seconder of the motion?

Bert Van Manen (Forde, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I second the motion and reserve my right to speak.

David Smith (Bean, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's a privilege to speak on this motion and to follow the member for Wright. I commend his contribution and his action in bringing this to the attention of the House. The value of the Australian Parliament House sports club is no better seen than in the lithe movements of the member across the football field. Gazelle-like is a description that comes to mind. I note too the contribution made by the member for Solomon about the power of sport to do good, even though he seems to get injured in most of the sports that he plays here too.

The Australian Parliament House sports club does a great job bringing so many of us here together in a friendly and non-partisan way. I did say 'non-partisan way', although that wouldn't be strictly true with our parliamentary state-of-origin matches. On that point alone it is worth noting the strong correlation between my appearances for the New South Wales side and its victories. I also note that my two appearances for the parliamentary cricket team have resulted in victories over the Press Gallery. However, as we all know too well, correlation does not necessarily mean causation. That's pretty clear for those who've witnessed my efforts.

Whether it be netball, tennis, touch football, soccer, basketball or cricket, the sports club provides ways to bring parliamentarians and staff together in a way that can foster broader cooperation, understanding and unity—elements that can never be in short supply in this place. It does more than that though. Underpinned by the great work of Andy Turnbull, the sports club plays a deeper role in promoting sport and healthy activity and in fostering international relations development and friendship as part of a worldwide movement not just in our region but across the world. As the member for Wright and the member for Solomon have put so well, it makes us part of a broader movement that brings together like-minded democracies that unite the world through sports, such as the cricket and tennis teams visiting the United Kingdom later this year and the rugby team visiting France later this year as well.

The sports supported by the club provide both physical and mental benefits and encourage participation in sport for people of all abilities, including me, with a view to improving both fitness and enjoyment. In this sense the work of the club is a microcosm of the work of community sport not just across Bean but across all electorates. Community sport through participation at all levels, including as a volunteer in the roles that make sport work, is a critical part of our social fabric. For me it has been a real joy to be involved with sports clubs across Bean, whether it be football, tennis, cricket, bowls, netball, bocce or Bhutanese archery, which has a particular focus in Bean. My time is always enriched. It has been a particular privilege for me to have been able to bring the Brumbies W team and the Capitals here to the parliament as well.

As I stated before, the parliament sports club exists to foster local and international relations, development and friendship as part of a worldwide movement. It's progressive, open minded and inclusive, providing opportunities for all in a positive and vibrant way. The club advocates diplomacy and development through connection and collaboration, and it operates in a professional and bipartisan manner, with membership comprising not just federal members and senators of all parties and who are Independent but also members of state parliaments.

Since the club was established in 2005, over 500 politicians have taken to the sports fields and courts. In the last 15 years the club has raised over three-quarters of a million dollars for charitable causes through the efforts of members and the generosity of their many corporate partners. Much of that work is down to the extraordinary organisation of Andy Turnbull and his whole team. Again, I'd like to pay tribute to the work that they do and encourage more of our colleagues to get involved in sports here at parliament.

Bert Van Manen (Forde, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I wish to align myself with the comments of the member for Wright and thank him particularly for bringing this motion to the House as we look at the activity of the Australian parliamentary sports club. Just this morning, for example, we had Graham Arnold, the recently re-signed Australian football coach, come down and give us some tips and tricks. It was a very worthwhile and enjoyable morning. Along with football, we've got basketball, netball, cricket, golf—wherever your sporting passions lie, I think it's fair to say that Andy Turnbull, as the driving force behind the Australian Parliament House sports club, has got you covered, hosting a range of matches, events and coaching sessions, as we saw this morning, and connecting the world of sport with politics.

Sport is a fantastic way to bring us together, as other people have said, connecting people of different cultures, backgrounds and beliefs. Usually we're all in furious and unanimous agreement with one thing in any sport—our disagreement with the referees when they make decisions, as happened this morning. There was a completely uncalled-for penalty call against the parliamentary team's goalkeeper. It was completely untoward. There was no contact whatsoever. But what better example can you have of this connectedness than the parliamentary sports club?

As others have mentioned, the club has a number of events this year in both cricket and tennis in the UK as well as a rugby trip to France. There will also be a number of football games this year, particularly one in Brisbane in July, which I'm looking forward to, but hopefully we organise some others as well. The club brings all of us together. Whilst we mentioned the numbers of MPs and senators that come down and play, I think one of the other valuable aspects of the sporting club is the fact that staff come down and play and are part of it as well and that they can come and enjoy being part of the sporting environment in this parliament.

The vision statement of the club says it exists to foster local and international relations, development and friendship as part of a worldwide movement. Its foundation is built around three central themes, which are encouraging participation in sport for people of all abilities with a view to improving fitness, health and enjoyment. As I said, the sports club's membership covers federal members and senators, importantly, from all parties and across state and federal parliaments, as others have mentioned previously. Established in August 2005, it has gone from strength to strength, and I would say that it's probably in the best shape I've seen it for a number of years in my time here, and it's fantastic to see.

Some of our community partners—because all of this is done in partnership—are the A-Leagues, the Australian Sports Foundation, Basketball Australia, ACT Brumbies rugby, Football Australia, Golf Australia, the National Rugby League, Paralympics Australia and Tennis Australia. These community partners and our corporate sponsors are vital to ensuring the club continues to succeed and thrive, along with, as the member for Wright mentioned in his contribution, the terrific program for women in sport that Andy has run over the years. Sport's ability to connect different communities and groups together extends to international diplomacy. We've already touched on the international trips that will occur this year.

But it's also about community development and, as a number of speakers have mentioned, the ability of the club to fundraise very significant amounts of money over the years that go into a variety of programs and charities right around Australia, with longstanding relationships with foundations supporting causes focused on areas such as health, young people, veterans, homelessness and natural disasters. I know one of the events that we all enjoy every year is the soccer tournament for The Big Issue. We all get to play on the small side fields, as if we're playing indoor soccer, and it's a great tournament, thoroughly enjoyable, and a great opportunity to see what they're doing in the world, supporting those less fortunate.

So congratulations to Andy and the whole team for the fabulous job you do. Thank you for your vision to create this club in the first place.

Luke Gosling (Solomon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I don't know how long the member for Forde is going to be in the chamber, but I wanted to point out to all honourable members that we are launching Parliamentary Friends of Australian Motorsports tomorrow morning, out front, with a barbecue-and-coffee breakfast. We'll see you there. There are going to be heaps of cars and motorbikes to have your photo taken with. But I digress!

I do rise to join members in recognising the really valuable role that sport plays in this place. The Parliament House Sports Club, under the stewardship of Andy Turnbull, helps to promote sport, and fosters international linkages and friendships as part of a worldwide movement, particularly when it comes to connectedness with like-minded democracies. Sport really unites.

We see this in the cricket team that will be visiting the United Kingdom from our parliament, and then our rugby team will visit France this year to, hopefully, knock the Kiwis off, who may or may not have cheated in the final in Japan four years ago! For the record, I've no evidence of that! But we very much look forward to it. It's going to be held in Paris, a week before the actual Rugby World Cup. Teams from Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Africa, the UK, Ireland, France, Georgia, the European Parliament and, hopefully, the Pacific will be represented. Participants should include a prime minister, a foreign secretary, trade and defence ministers and many more—hard-hitting people, whether it's on or off the rugby field. Parliamentary rugby is just one example, among many other codes, of the power of sports diplomacy.

The first Parliamentary Rugby World Cup took place in 1995 in Cape Town, in South Africa. The tournament included an economic conference to discuss the inbound investment South Africa needed at the time. These games occurred only one year after Nelson Mandela's release. It was such an important event that the New Zealanders delayed the opening of their parliament by one week to attend. That is a great example to all of us. Most of South Africa's cabinet attended each event, it was seen as that important. The functions were hosted by former presidents Mandela and Mbeki. It was so popular because, as Nelson Mandela later said, 'Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does.' From those games in 1995 alone, 200 parliaments forged friendships on the pitch and in the conference room.

This is a very significant competition, and it will be no different in Paris this year, alongside the member for Wright and the member for Moreton. Also, in Japan a few years ago, we had the member for Hinkler. But many other MPs and senators have felt as I did in Japan: very, very proud to wear the uniform of our parliament. It's an incredible feeling to represent your country, even if it's the parliament, and to represent it in such a noble sport. In a previous contribution in this place, I noted that rugby is indeed the game that they play in heaven. I know that all our parliamentarians who play netball, golf, touch football, cricket, tennis or that other football, soccer, feel the same. For all people, there are huge benefits, both physical and mental, of playing sports, particularly in the workplace. I'm proud of everything that our government is doing in terms of sports diplomacy. It is a truly bipartisan effort—sports diplomacy and the parliamentary sports club.

Finally, I acknowledge the work of the parliamentary sports club with the veterans in Invictus Australia.

Aaron Violi (Casey, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I must commend the member for Wright and all speakers on this motion. It is a very important one. I will talk briefly about sport and the importance it plays in the workplace for health and mental health, and in my community in Casey. But first, I do have to commend the member for Forde for his words. It was a truly outrageous decision on the penalty today. He is modest. His efforts in goal during the penalty shootout, to lead the yellow team, our team, to victory at the end were heroic and brought back memories of the Australian World Cup qualifiers. Congratulations to the member for Forde for that amazing effort.

That is one of the reasons I want to talk about Andy Turnbull and the Australian Parliament House sports club, and the important role that it plays here. For a new member of this parliament, it's a big place. There's a lot that happens, there's a lot to learn, but sport and the parliamentary club has been a great way to get to know my colleagues on this side of the House and, importantly, my colleagues on the other side of the House, and that leads to better decision-making and better collaboration. Yes, we're going to have disagreements on policy, and question time is always very robust, but it's important that we're representing our constituents and maintaining strong relationships across the aisle and with our colleagues. I've found sport has been a great way to make new friends and meet new people in this new workplace.

We spend a lot of hours in this House talking, debating and making decisions, and it has been very important to have that release from a physical and mental health perspective. I've found it to be a great part of my routine here in Canberra. It's a reminder not just for parliamentarians but for all Australians to make sure that you are spending time getting your exercise, spending time with sport, running or whatever exercise you need to look after your mental and physical health.

In Casey, sport is a big part of our electorate. It's been a big part of my life—as I talked about in my maiden speech—playing for many soccer clubs, football clubs and cricket clubs, and making lifelong friendships. I'll always make sure that I back the sporting clubs in Casey. We had the first week of cricket finals this week in Casey, so tensions are high. Some local teams beat other local teams, so I'm being very bipartisan. I'm not supporting anyone, although I do have to give one very special shout-out to a good friend of mine, a former premiership teammate. A man who is a legend, in many ways, in Yarra Valley cricket, the great Matthew Tilney is still rolling the arm over and still batting. He made 53 not out and got two for 21 on the weekend, to lead the Seville Burras to their grand final next weekend. It's great to see that Matty is still making runs and taking wickets—maybe not terrorising batsmen like he used to but relying on the guile that comes with old age and wisdom to get those wickets.

We've also got football, soccer and netball about to start. I know the players are deep in preseason preparations for all those sports. Practice matches have started. It's exciting to see the optimism that all local clubs have at this time of year. Recruits are going to be superstars. Everyone gets excited. But, most importantly, when I go to clubs and talk to them, it's about that community spirit of seeing their friends and spending time with their community. The bit of banter, again, is so important for their mental and physical health, especially after the challenges we've had in sport in the last few years.

The third part of sport that has played a big role in our communities is within our ethnic community. As a third generation Italian resident of Casey, I speak to my uncles and my dad a lot about how soccer played such a big part in their lives. Now it's just part of our community. We're really fortunate in Casey to have the wonderful Chin community, who are creating their own home in our electorate and in the neighbouring electorate of Deakin. The Chin and the Karen communities have come from Burma, and I was excited to be at the 17th anniversary of the Karen Baptist church on the weekend, talking to them about soccer at the Mooroolbark Soccer Club, where I spent 10 years playing. I'm fortunate that my son is following in my footsteps, and I think he'll be a lot better than me, which is good for his teammates. It's nice to see the Chin community creating their own legacy at the Mooroolbark Soccer Club and other sports clubs as well because that's what sport does; it brings us together here in parliament and it brings us together in our communities in Casey and across the nation. I commend the member for Wright for this wonderful motion.

Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Andy Turnbull and his Australian Parliament House sports club usually bring out the best—and only occasionally the worst—in the people who work in this building. As other speakers have said, the best is a time when political rivalries are put aside to enjoy a game of touch football down on the Senate oval, or a game of soccer, basketball, netball or tennis—or even a brilliant catch by the wicketkeeper, the member for Casey, playing against the press gallery. The worst is when one of us tries to emulate Lionel Messi down on the football field but ends up falling on their backside or breaking their leg, as Senator Watt did. We all need a good laugh first thing in the morning and should never take ourselves too seriously in this place, as touched on by the member for Wright and other speakers.

Sport is so much more than organising a bit of exercise. Under the leadership of Andy Turnbull, over the years the club has become all about fostering relationships and friendships through sport—and that bit of early morning exercise, which obviously gets people to bed nice and early. Some people say nothing good happens in Canberra after midnight. My wife says nothing good happens after 8 pm, but that's another story I won't go into. As my wife can attest, sport isn't just limited to Canberra. She joined me in Japan a few years ago when we attended the Parliamentary Rugby World Cup just before the real World Cup. As Andy Turnbull well knows, sport is a type of diplomacy that connects the globe and transcends language and cultural barriers. We can use sport to build soft diplomatic bridges and stronger relationships, particularly in the Pacific.

Later this year, a number of politicians from all around the world will again pack their boots and head off to participate in the Parliamentary Rugby World Cup in France. Unlike the professional rugby players, who will be competing in the real World Cup, our standard of play—except for maybe a certain senator from the ACT, if he is fortunate enough to join us—will be a lot slower and less skilful, but the real importance will be in the connections that will be made with other countries' parliamentarians and the opportunities that will come from building those stronger bonds between countries.

As part of the trip, we're working with some of our Pacific island neighbours to help them either join and become members of our team or put in their own team. Rugby is a language that all of the Pacific understands, and we speak that language. I note that Prime Minister Albanese and Minister Conroy, like me and many of us, are also happy to talk rugby league to our Pacific neighbours. Similar tales can be told when it comes to netball, cricket and other sports. As politicians, we reach out a sporting hand not just for some Pacific wizardry—though that would be a big part of it, and I hope to see some six foot seven, very fast Pacific islander MPs—but also to build long-lasting bridges between our nations through rugby and other sports.

That's why I'm always a little bit confused when people say: 'Take the politics out of sport.' Sport can actually be a great driver of change and acceptance. Sport played its part in ending apartheid in South Africa, when countries refused to play against South Africa. On a more local level, it can be an opportunity to open your eyes to different people and cultures, where sport can be the common language, as touched on by earlier speakers. You get to hang around with people you may not normally meet—people from different towns, states and other countries. They may speak a different language and have a different religion or culture, but you play the same sport. It's a way to break down barriers by being part of a team, irrespective of your background or your ability. That is the great power of sport.

Something that I look forward to is working with the member for Forde as part of the Parliamentary Friends of the Olympic Movement in Australia. I am also a member of the organising committee, and we know that that Olympic unifying opportunity will come to Brisbane in 10 years time. We also know that the Pacific probably won't host the Olympics, so this can be a great opportunity for Brisbane to reach out to our Pacific neighbours and make sure that we've got a strong Pacific flavour.

Obviously, people of all sorts of political stripes get involved in parliamentary sport—and the member for Wright and I have had some fun travels together, playing on the same side—as we see, out on the Senate oval in the morning, or on the basketball courts, the netball courts or the tennis courts or other places around this building. Sport is a great unifier.

Sport is a language that we can speak in the Pacific which other countries that are trying to insert their influence cannot speak. There are a few projects that I'd like sporting diplomacy to attempt, and I look forward to those. One is an attempt to take an Australian parliamentary cricket team to India. That would be something that I would like to take on, and I'm sure that Senator Canavan and other cricketers would be keen to get on board with that cricketing sporting endeavour.

Michelle Ananda-Rajah (Higgins, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The time allotted for this debate has expired.