Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Deputy Speaker, can you feel it? The excitement is building. Today marks Olympic Day. It is exactly one month until the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics Games. The AOC has launch a new ad campaign called 'Have as Go'. It's to let Australians know that great things happen when you have a go. Unfortunately, we can't all compete in the Olympics, but we can all have a go. Obviously, there are enormous health and social benefits when it comes to sport. I represent a particularly diverse community and I know that sport is a language that every member of my multicultural community can speak. Sport is inclusive. You might play sport with people you might otherwise not interact with. You might not always agree with your team members, but when you're on the field you're in the same team and you learn more about your teammates. That breaks down barriers.

In fact, just this morning I played in the parliamentary state of origin touch football game. Obviously, I was in the Queensland team, with the co-chair of the Parliamentary Friends of the Olympic Movement in Australia, the member for Forde, who, sadly, was injured. The Deputy Prime Minister, Senator Canavan, the member for Wright, the member for Solomon, Senator Watt, the member for Lilley and Senator Chisholm all played on the Queensland team. We all benefited from the exercise and we shared a common experience, which is important for all sporting participants—and that was not just losing to the dreadful New South Wales. But I will say on the record that we'll be back, and I look forward to an event this afternoon with the Parliamentary Friends of the Olympic Movement in Australia. (Time expired)