Jess Walsh (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) | Hansard source

I'll start by saying that I completely understand the disappointment of athletes and coaches about the Commonwealth Games no longer being held in Victoria. It's a decision the Victorian government made after considering all the facts on the table, and we understand the decision. I can also tell you that sport will survive and indeed thrive in Victoria and in this country going forward. This government is committed to our athletes, to our coaches and to our training staff. Our commitment to sport is without equal. We will continue to ensure that our athletes have every opportunity to compete at home and abroad.

There are no less than 22 major sporting events coming down the green and gold highway right now, all leading to the 2032 Brisbane Olympics and Paralympics, whether it's the Rugby World Cup, the Netball World Cup, the Men's T20 World Cup or even the BMX World Championship, and we are lucky to be hosting four Women's World Cup events across the next five years. I think it's safe to say that our international sporting reputation is well and truly safe and intact.

We are helping Australians excel on the sporting field at every level and in every postcode, from the playground to the podium. Only last week we announced an additional $20 million in funding for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Preparation Fund. This investment in our athletes will help Australians qualify, and it will assist with transport costs for the games. This is a funding injection that will help teams like our wheelchair rugby team, who needed support to reach the World Cup in October.

We know that sport is bigger than any one event. Ultimately, our sporting events need to be good investments that provide value for money and lasting benefits to the community. I'd like to take the opportunity to commend the Victorian government for their focus on continuing to deliver lasting investments in housing and infrastructure for regional communities. This is a focus and commitment that the federal government shares.

The hypocrisy of those opposite really can't go without mention today. They demand to see more action on the cost-of-living crisis, and now they ask that billions of taxpayer dollars be spent on the Commonwealth Games. They insist repeatedly that sports and politics should not be mixed, and then they wish to play politics here in the chamber today with what is a state government decision.

Rather than playing politics, we are currently focused on hosting the largest women's sporting event in the world—the FIFA Women's World Cup—and we are hosting it very successfully, I might add. The Matildas opening match reached almost five million people. We committed more than $84 million to support the bidding, delivery and legacy of the Women's World Cup here in Australia. It's broken records already in terms of crowd attendance, the number of countries competing and the number of spectators watching at home and around the world. It's raised the profile of women's sport to an unprecedented level not just here in Australia but also internationally. It's the kind of event that we know will have impacts for generations to come, on the girls and boys who are inspired to put on the green and gold.

I finish by saying: go Matildas, tonight. We had a sell-out crowd for the friendly in Melbourne against France, in Victoria, and we have another sellout tonight. News of the demise of Victorian and Australian sport is greatly exaggerated by those opposite. Again, I reject the assertions of disaster of those opposite. This was no doubt a tough decision for our athletes but I know that Australia will land a successful Commonwealth Games campaign with our athletes, just as I know Victoria will continue to be the home of Australian sport from schools to stadiums and everywhere in between. The Victorian government have given the reasons for the decision they've made. It remains a state matter. I can tell you: Victorian sport will survive and thrive.