Julia Banks (Chisholm, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to talk about not only the amazing local sporting clubs in my electorate of Chisholm but the fact that sporting clubs would not be the Australian institutions that they are if it were not for the commitment of many Australians and parents of children. Without their goodwill and spirit of volunteerism, Australia would not be the great sporting nation that it is. Just as my mum did, from cutting oranges for half-time to being the 'mum's taxi', I too enjoyed what I would describe as a simple pleasure rather than work in helping my kids' sporting teams. The camaraderie between the parents on the sidelines—the coffee shouts, caring for each other's kids if one got injured and making sure food and first aid were always on hand before, during and after the game—is an endearing characteristic of the mums, dads and grandparents of Chisholm. These people are often unacknowledged volunteers who define the sporting and community spirit in this nation. Continuing traditions such as this will always be enduring, but, like everything, communities need to remain agile and change with the times.

It is different now for the sports mums than when my mum was the weekend sports mum for my brother and me. For example, there is an emerging, significant and wonderful increased participation of girls in sports that were traditionally in the male domain—Aussie Rules football, soccer and cricket—while there is a practical and increased need for facilities that are tailored for women at the local level. I am an avid supporter of local sporting clubs in Chisholm not just because they are great but because of the people who directly and indirectly participate in them, which makes them the quintessential community hub.

I am proud to be part of the Turnbull government, where we have backed and supported many of these local clubs. To name a few, there are the Surrey Hills Cricket Club, in Box Hill South, a club which has been supported through generations from the time of building the clubrooms brick by brick to the current day; the Box Hill Athletic Club; the Eastern Gymnastics Club; and the Nunawading Cricket Club. All these clubs continue on the path of continuous improvement of themselves and have worked hard to ensure the active participation of young girls and women in sport. The Box Hill Hawks, a grassroots local club that is proud of its enduring and historical traditions, is also a club that is changing with the times and looking forward to the future by including women's participation in sport. The Box Hill Hawks Football Club recently named its first VFL women's team.

Providing equal opportunity for women to participate in sports often translates into their leadership attributes and experience in other spheres such as business and community life. For future generations of women in leadership, leadership in sport translates to leadership and equality in business and the community and is integral to continuing the great Australian tradition of sport participation for future generations.