Ms Catherine King (Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Ageing) Share this | Hansard source

I too rise in support of the Prime Minister's statement on the Olympic Games. Whilst I am of course going to mention my own community, I suspect there are going to be lots of people traipsing to the Gold Coast to see just what you have done right in that district! I congratulate the member for McPherson on raising it.

There has been a lot said about the London Olympics. There will be lots of analysis and lots of investigations and determinations around what happened in each sport and so on, but I think it is actually really important that we celebrate the incredible achievements of our Olympians. As a community, it is important that we remember that the Olympics reflect a particular time and place in history and culture. You look back on newsreels from past Olympics and there are things that you remember about who you were and what you were doing at that time. They are very, very important elements of our cultural identity. I think it is important that we celebrate those achievements—learn lessons if we need to but really celebrate those achievements. They mark milestones in our own lives. They come every four years, except when there have been terrible tragedies of war. They are one of the certainties of our international community and they certainly mark milestones in our own lives. I spent a lot of time watching the Beijing Olympics because they took place in the year in which my son was born, so I was spending more time at home than I do now. So I remember those times.

In London our athletes absolutely did us proud. Through their achievements they have once again shown just how remarkable they are, but they have also shown us what we all wish at some point to aspire to: to achieve the very best in the fields of endeavour that we choose. All of those who have competed should be extremely proud of themselves. A total of 35 medals were brought home and, whilst we focus on the medals—it is good to do so; they are very remarkable achievements—it means that of the total of 204 nations competing we came 10th, which is again extraordinary for a country of this size and population in particular. Even those who are not huge sports fanatics spent a night or two huddled around the television set at home cheering on the Aussies.

Many came from my own district and I want to mention those in particular. Kathryn Mitchell, who had her debut at these Olympics, participated in the javelin throw where she came ninth. James Marburg, in the rowing men's pair, came fifth. He was in Beijing in 2008 and got a silver medal, and I know he has a lot of rowing ahead of him. Collis Birmingham was a runner in the men's 5,000 metres and this was his second Olympic Games, coming 35th. Tamsin Hinchley, who plays beach volleyball, was born in the tiny community of Napoleons. She certainly worked incredibly hard in her third Olympics. Russell Mark, in the shooting double trap, was born in Ballarat and we still claim him well and truly as our own. In the London result he came 20th—again, remarkable for Russell in his six Olympic games.

Anthony Edwards, a member of my own rowing club, was in the rowing lightweight four. He was born in Ballarat and trained substantially in Ballarat for much of his early life. He came fourth and received two silver medals as well as some bronzes in many previous Olympics. Jared Tallent, our Newland boy, undertook the roadwork and did an amazing effort—50 kilometres at that odd, strange walking pace, winning silver, having also done such a fantastic effort in Beijing. Every Olympic Games of course has those moments that are particularly memorable. For me, it was watching all of our Olympians from our region participating but particularly watching Jared at that amazing walk and seeing his terrific determination. He is a sight around our region at times. Newland is a potato-growing district. He has been a real champion from that area and I know his family are incredibly proud of him, as is his whole community.

Now all of our eyes are going to look towards the Paralympics that will be starting in eight days time. I am particularly keeping a lookout for Greg Smith who is from Ballarat. Greg is on his fifth Olympic Games and has formerly won three gold medals—at the 2000 games in the 800 metres, the 1,500 metres and the 5,000 metres. He is an extremely talented man and has now had a slight career change. This year he will be competing in the wheelchair rugby. He is a Buninyong boy and we are certainly looking forward to seeing him compete and wish him all the best in the lead-up to the games and certainly in his participation.

This motion of support also provides me with the opportunity to talk a little bit about the Local Sporting Champions program. Many of these elite athletes started their careers as very young children. They started by competing against fellow classmates in schools, attending Little Athletics, local athletics comps, swimming and sporting competitions and being involved with the many local sporting clubs that exist throughout our communities. The government proudly funds the Local Sporting Champions program. The program aims to help our junior sports stars to meet the costs of participation in sporting competitions. The program offers grants of some $500 for individuals and $3,000 for teams. Applications for the next round close on 31 October. I certainly want to encourage young athletes and teams across my electorate to apply for funding. The program has already supported many athletes across my community—I think there were some 87 grants, six teams and 81 individuals, and a total cost of $58,500 has gone into Local Sporting Champions in my own electorate alone. I know that story is repeated right the way across. We are very fortunate in my electorate that we also have a not-for-profit organisation, the Ballarat Sports Foundation, which for a long period of time has been doing similar things. I am delighted that the government has equally stepped up and supported young athletes.

Every one of those young athletes funded through the Local Sporting Champions program may be someone we see at an Olympics in the future. It is incredibly important that we support those young people, whether they go on to be Olympians or not. The fact that they are participating at such a high level within their sports, within their own communities, statewide, nationally and in some cases internationally, is very important. The government has certainly committed record funding to elite athletes and to Olympians. In the four years to 2012, $382 million was committed to national sporting organisations. It is a remarkable commitment from which we will continue to see results for years to come.

Again, I want to congratulate those athletes from my own community who have participated, and those who are yet to participate in the Paralympics, for their terrific achievements. As I said, watching the Olympics themselves is a terrific thing to be able to do. They provide important cultural and historic milestones for each of us, and I know many of us will remember moments from the London Olympics, as we remember moments from Sydney, Beijing and the many, many Olympics for the rest of our lives. So, to all of those athletes from Australia who have participated, thank you for the memories.

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