02/08/2017 

Check against delivery

Madam Speaker I rise to speak in support of this motion.

This motion is timely as it is an incredibly exciting time in women's sport, and it is appropriate for the Assembly to reflect on this and the steps we have taken in assisting the progress made in recent years.


The last two years have seen tremendous development in women's sport at the elite level.

The 2015-16 summer of cricket saw the launch of the inaugural Women's Big Bash League.

Players like Meg Lanning, Ellyse Perry and ACT Meteor Erin Osborne were broadcast into our living rooms.

So successful were the ratings that the Ten Network extended its coverage and shifted telecasts to its main channel.


In 2017 the AFL launched its inaugural season of the AFL Women's competition.

Across the competition, Canberra was well represented, no more so than by former Canberra Capital Jess Bibby who hung up her high tops for a pair off cleats to join the Giants leadership group.

Canberra also witnessed one of the first ever games of women's footy, with the Giants taking on the Bulldogs at Manuka Oval.


2017 also saw the reconfiguration of elite netball in Australia, with a new national netball competition.

The arrangements for the new competition doubled the minimum salary for players and raised the average salary to 250,000 a year in funding and Canberra United 500,000 to help deliver more female friendly sports infrastructure, enabling more women to take to the sports field.

This approach can be seen in the recent redevelopment of the Gowrie Oval amenities.

Many of the projects funded through the Community Football Infrastructure Program will also adopt these measures, as will the design of the upgraded pavilion at Southwell Park and forthcoming upgrades to the Narrabundah Ball Park.


This motion calls on the government to continue to work with the local sports community to continue to increase women's participation in sport in the ACT.

This is something I am fully supportive of.

As Member for Yerrabi, earlier this year I was invited to attend the Pink Stumps Day at the Bonner Royals Cricket Club.

It was great to see so many local women involved in sport and to have a go myself, although I did only manage a few runs before being bowled out.

For these women, and the young women coming through our schools, our female athletes are important role models.

With a dearth of female superheroes, our women need real heroes to look up to.

Heroes like Canberra's Susan Pettit who I was lucky enough to see star earlier this year for Giants Netball in their win over the Vixens.

As we invest in women's participation in sports here in the ACT, I can't help but be excited that the investment we're making now might play some small part in producing the next Susan Pettit.

This motion calls on the government to do just that.

This motion calls on the government to help enable women to be the best they can be in their sport.

It calls on the ACT to support these and the many other measures in place to continue the progression towards equality for women and I call on all members to support it.