Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There are 179 Australians competing in the Paralympics in Tokyo, including Riverina products Ashley Van Rijswijk and Scott Reardon. Young Ashley, a Wagga Wagga Swim Club member, swam fifth place in the 100-metre breaststroke SB14 women's final last night and will compete again tomorrow in the 200-metre medley SM14 on what will be her 21st birthday. This is her first Paralympics.

Temora's own Paralympian, Scott Reardon, will be running for gold tonight in the men's T63 100-metre final. He is the defending Paralympic champion. Injured in a farm accident when he was just 12, the now 31-year-old won gold in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and silver in London in 2012.

Australian Olympians are given cash prizes—$20,000 for gold, $15,000 for silver and $10,000 for bronze—but no such financial reward goes to our Paralympians. As one Paralympian said:

We only get money from the government if we win a medal at a world championship. It's hard to work and train at the same time. I hope our success and how hard we work is enough to show Australia that we are worth investing in a little bit more.

The United States of America and a number of other countries moved to award their Paralympic athletes with the same cash prizes as Olympians, and at this year's games, and the movement has been widely celebrated. Our Paralympians work at least as hard as our Olympians and deserve the same treatment.