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

Sport unifies Australians like nothing else. As honourable members would know, the Australian National Internships Program gives students opportunities to undertake research projects in parliamentarians offices. Earlier this year, Francesca Lambert, an ANU student, interned in my office. We researched DFAT's role in shaping Australia's strategic environment in the Pacific via sports diplomacy. The government is investing $15.6 million non-ODA funding and $2.5 million ODA funding per annum into this program. We're also investing $6 million of overseas development assistance per annum in Team Up, which transforms communities through sport.

Australia is working with Pacific countries to help deepen sports diplomacy within our Pacific family. When visiting the Pacific in June, I raised the special role of sports, and especially rugby, with Samoa's Prime Minister. And last week, in Fiji on a delegation, I spoke with Fijian parliamentarians and Fiji Rugby about the incredible value of our Vuvale, which means 'family' in Fijian, program and the role that rugby plays in building ties of trust between our two nations. May the best team win on 17 September, Australia versus Fiji.