Nita Green (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Women and the Minister representing the Minister for Sport, Senator Gallagher. Over recent weeks millions of people in Australia and across the world have tuned in and turned out to watch the Women's World Cup. Whether dressed in green and gold to support the Matildas or watching amazing women from across the world compete on the global stage, the World Cup has captured the heart of the nation. At the same time, the Diamonds have successfully dealt with their unfinished business by claiming victory at the Netball World Cup in South Africa. Can the minister update the Senate on the impact of these events on women in sport?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Green for the question, and I acknowledge her work and her contribution to support women in sport and particularly in relation to the Women's World Cup as co-chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Football and for the very many speeches you do in this place on the Matildas in particular. The Women's World Cup has once and for all ended any debate about the place of women's sport in this country. The Matildas's opening game reached almost five million people across Australia, shattering records. In Sydney, more than 75,000 fans packed in to set a new attendance record for women's football matches, and more than 40,000 fans watched England against Haiti in Brisbane. This tournament has been such a game changer for women and girls, and it is not just in football that women are leading the way. I give a huge congratulations to the Diamonds team and their coach for their victory against England in the Netball World Cup, a 61-45 defeat, and I have no doubt there are a lot of tired eyes in this place today from sitting up in the early hours of this morning to watch that amazing result.

Our women athletes are excelling on the world stage and have changed sport in this country. The professional lives our Diamonds and Matildas are experiencing now have been born from the sacrifices of those before them. Only a decade ago the Matildas had to train in car parks at night-time with car headlights as their only source of light. In the late eighties the first-ever Matilda, Julie Dolan, organised off the books a high-stakes poker night to fundraise. This allowed the team to travel to China for an international tournament in 1988, a tournament that morphed into the Women's World Cup. Now the Matildas get bigger crowds than the men. The tournament has sold more than 1.5 million tickets, breaking records repeatedly. Some people are wondering whether this event will push the Matildas to be more popular than the men's team. Well, they already are on the statistics. Football Australia's own metrics show this, and all of their social engagement proves it.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Green, first supplementary?

Nita Green (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Women's World Cup has shown how much the community is willing to celebrate and support women in sport. Can the minister detail how the Albanese government is taking action to foster better environments for women in sport not only to support our current teams but to lay the groundwork for young women and girls who will form the teams of the future?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

ator GALLAGHER (—) (): The Australian government is determined to pursue gender equality across the board, and we've committed more than $84 million to support the bidding, delivery and legacy of the Women's World Cup here in Australia. With that funding the Matildas have had eight extra international matches leading up to the World Cup. They've also been able to hire a second assistant coach, a psychologist, a sports scientist, a team chef and a team doctor. The Matildas now have equal staffing to our men's team, the Socceroos, which is as it should be. Our funding also supports the first technical director of female football, the first technical leader of the future Matildas program and assistant team manager for young Matildas and Matildas and the national female wellbeing manager.

As a result, almost 20 new players have now joined the Matildas program and the Matildas are the first women's football team in the world to receive the same pay as their male counterparts. At the grassroots level we are making football more inclusive and accessible to girls and marginalised communities, and we are committed to continue this in the pursuit of gender equality across sport. (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Green, second supplementary?

Nita Green (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It has been incredible not just to see the prominence of the Women's World Cup on a global scale but to be hosting such a successful tournament and demonstrating how Australia values women in sport at a local level. Of course, before I ask this questions I will say, 'Up the Matildas, and good luck tonight,' but can the minister explain the impact on the community of hosting events like the Women's World Cup.

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Green for the supplementary. The Women's World Cup is one of more than a dozen major events in Australia in the lead-up to Brisbane 2032. We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to promote gender equality through sport, and this government is committed to that pursuit. You only have to look around the stands at the young girls and boys in Matildas hats and jerseys holding up signs with words of support for their heroes to see the impact that the Women's World Cup is having right across the board because sport is so important for the community beyond the result. When the Matildas head out on the field tonight in Sydney, they'll be cheered on by another roaring crowd—this time over 75,000 people—a demonstration that their community is behind them regardless of the outcome. We are so proud of everything they have achieved to date and the way they have conducted themselves. That's a message that will resonate beyond tonight's game or this tournament—that Australia is ready to show up for women in sport. We wish them all the best tonight. I know that everyone in this place will be cheering them on.