Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Scarr for his question. Australia sent a team of 179 athletes and 168 support staff to the Tokyo Paralympics. As we have seen, they have represented our nation with distinction and with pride, and their performances on the world's greatest stage have brought immense joy to many Australians over recent weeks in what has been a very challenging time. Australia's para-athletes put in significant effort in preparing for the Paralympics, just like their Olympic counterparts.

The Commonwealth government is currently the major funding source for Paralympic sports. In the five years leading to the Tokyo Paralympics, the government provided $88.8 million for para-athlete high-performance programs. The government recognises, however, that there is a disparity in the payments available to Australian medal-winning athletes in the Paralympics compared to the medal-winning athletes in the Olympic Games. Medal incentives are currently paid by the Australian Olympic Committee to Olympic medal-winning athletes. The governing body of parasports Australia, Paralympics Australia, does not have the financial capacity to do the same for Paralympic medal-winning athletes.

That is why I am absolutely delighted to advise the chamber that the government has decided to make available funding to Paralympics Australia which would allow it to make payments to medal-winning athletes at the Tokyo Paralympics equivalent to the payments made by the AOC to medal-winning athletes at the Tokyo Olympics.