Fatima Payman (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Sport has the ability to bring communities together, to share a common purpose and to teach us all important life lessons. Our incredible Australian sporting heroes have a role to play in moving society forward. Players need to be heard on important matters and need to have avenues to voice their support for or dissatisfaction with any issues they have in the workplace. We need to make sure players are being listened to regarding issues in their sport, including sponsorship. The emerging issue of players speaking on their sport's choice of sponsor reflects broader conversations that Australians are having around the country on social, environmental and cultural issues.

This is, however, a matter for the individual sports and their governing bodies. What's important is our sporting environments should have modern Australian workplaces where athletes are entitled to collective bargaining and the ability to fight for wages and conditions. The Albanese Labor government's investment in sport is about getting more Australians involved in sport, bringing communities together, boosting the economy and supporting our elite athletes to pursue success on the global stage. We recognise the importance of sport being safe, fair and inclusive for all so that every Australian can feel the rush only sport can bring you.

Last month I had the honour of participating in a panel discussion run by the Bachar Houli Foundation's Girls Leadership program. We focused on the experience of Muslim women in leadership roles, the ups and downs they experienced and the importance of getting involved in community sport. The best part was hearing from young women, from all different backgrounds and all ages, about how much they love playing sport. It was remarkable and inspiring to see their resilience in the face of obstacles and their enthusiasm to be the change that they want to see in the world. They recounted how participating in sport helped improve their physical and mental health, develop their self-confidence, establish their place in society and build leadership skills. I'm not much of an athlete myself, but I do know how important sport is to the communities we represent and how it brings people together and improves people's confidence and their engagement in the community.

This is an important period for Australian sports. We bring together Australia's sport community and celebrate the upcoming green-and-gold runway of major sporting events in the lead-up to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. We have an incredible opportunity to unite, inspire and build Australia through sport. It will provide us with wonderful opportunities to boost and inspire more community participation right across the nation.

Regarding the urgency motion moved by Senator McKim, these matters are for the sports clubs and their governing bodies, but I stress again that it is important for us to remember that our sporting environments are still workplaces. Our incredible Australian athletes, like any other worker, should have a say in their workplace environment and conditions.