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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 6 Hansard (18 June) . . Page.. 1997 ..


MRS BURKE

(continuing):

If we're going to give some diversionary alternatives to lifestyle for young people, then it's credible that you brought this on today. We would obviously certainly do no worse than to better fund, promote and support women's sport. As the Chief Minister's just said, it is a little lacking in the profile that it has.

I guess you'll all laugh, but one of my favourite sports is synchronised swimming. I know how that struggles. I know you may look aghast, Mr Quinlan, but it sorts the men out from the boys.

Mr Hargreaves

: But you're good at solo synchronised swimming.

MRS BURKE

: It sorts the men out from the boys, Mr Hargreaves. I'll watch AFL with you if you'll come into the pool with me and I'll teach you some synchro. There you go. I have to say that until today I had not heard of the Canberra Currency, which I think is quite sad. It sort of shocked me, but I'm honest enough to own up and say so. I thank him for educating me today and bringing another team to my awareness. That's fantastic for women's sport.

I also support Mr Hargreaves' proposed amendments, as I've just said, which speak of governments past and present. It does need to be a continued effort by the government of the day. I'm sure that, along with organisations who have given sponsorship, we must not forget the broader community, who often find themselves in the role of supplementing funding with lamington drives, raffles and the like. I think that such teams value the support from anywhere they can get it, but I think that it is incumbent on governments to better support, wherever we can, sporting activities to promote better health and so on. So that's great.

I said it shouldn't be made a political football. Mr Speaker, it really is essential, as I've already alluded to, that we do continue to hail and broadly promote the successes of our sports women-not only our sports women, but men too-particularly in this case, the Canberra Currency. Well done.

MR HARGREAVES

(11.47): I seek leave to move the two amendments circulated in my name together.

Leave granted.

MR HARGREAVES

: I move:

(1) Paragraph (2): Omit the word "Government's".

(2) After the words "funding initiatives"add "of past and present governments".

Very, very briefly Mr Speaker, I make two points. The first one is interesting. I was talking to Ms Dundas about it. It's interesting that the name of the team is the Canberra Currency, which are doing pretty well when they haven't got any money.


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