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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 6 Hansard (18 June) . . Page.. 2000 ..


MS DUNDAS

(continuing):

I do believe that there is actually a lot of work to be done to recognise women's sport in the ACT and to support women in their sporting endeavours.

I go to the substantive part of this motion. The Canberra Currency have shown that, despite low levels of funding, virtually zero media coverage, a lack of recognition and a recognition below what their male counterparts receive, they can still work together to play at a national standard in their chosen sport. I am continually astounded by the achievements that women attain when they do work together. I know that they will continue to be worthy of national competition into the future, and I do hope it is something that this Assembly will continue to support.

MR QUINLAN

(Treasurer, Minister for Economic Development, Business and Tourism and Minister for Sport, Racing and Gaming) (11.55): Mr Speaker, I hadn't intended to speak in this debate, but I just want to respond to one point made by Ms Dundas because I think it does need clarification. Yes, we do spend a considerable amount of money bringing Kangaroos Australian rules games to the ACT. We spend money on the elite teams. They are not necessarily teams in which many Canberrans participate.

The main point is that those particular sporting activities are the spectacle that people want to see. We're not now talking about the participation. If you'd like to go to one-I don't know whether you know much about sport at all, Ms Dundas; I don't know what your heritage is-but if you go to the Brumbies, if you go to the Raiders, if you go to the Kangaroos, just have a look at the proportion of women there attending and enjoying. And that's the point.

The fact that there's a lot of money spent on major league teams and they happen to have men playing should not be the measuring stick. Just have a look at the attendance they attract and have a look at the proportion of women that go and genuinely enjoy it. They are sporting spectacles that are put on for the full population, that the population demonstrates their desire to attend by actually attending. So let yourself go, go to a couple of them, go and have a look.

MS TUCKER

(11.56): The Greens are also pleased to support this motion congratulating the ACT women's AFL team, the Canberra Currency, on their success. There are a number of issues that have been raised during this debate. Just to summarise: there is of course the need to further recognise women's sport and further support it. Questions about the role of the media have also been raised, and that obviously is an issue.

But I'm particularly interested in what Mr Quinlan just said, because I think it comes to the crux of the discussion in a way. If you look at the attendance at matches of male teams, it shows it's a fine thing-and of course it is-but that argument is also used in some African countries I've had discussion with about the fact that there are no women in parliaments. The answer is: well, people don't vote for women; therefore, they don't want women. I don't think anyone in this place would accept that argument.

It is about the culture, and the culture which actually supports or does not support women, whether it's in parliament or whether or it's in sport. I guess the challenge is for us to recognise those very subtle cultural influences in our community and in our society and proactively challenge them when we see them to be failing. I think that's what this


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