Transcript: Interview with Peter Gleeson, 4BC - 5 August 2024

TRANSCRIPT

Interview with Peter Gleeson, 4BC

5 August 2024

Topics: Funding delays for the $200 million Play Our Way program, rising of Australia’s terrorism threat level to probable

E&OE…………………………………

Peter Gleeson: So, you remember last year when Matildas mania galvanised the country during the FIFA Women's World Cup? We had our Prime Minister and Sports Minister, Anika Wells - Bizarrely, they were seen feet on the pitch, cloaked head to toe in green and gold, crying their eyes out because the Matildas were doing so well. And you might remember, I criticised them for that, because at the time the Government's funding dedicated to women's and girls sport was woeful. But then after the World Cup, they came out with a $200 million plan to offer grants to local sporting clubs so more young girls could get into whatever code they wanted to play. Great idea. Except almost a year after that commitment, I can tell you today that not one single cent has left the Government's coffers, purely because of all of the red tape that applicants for the grants have had to jump through and then wait to see if they're going to get any money. And it's so representative of how this government has acted since being elected. Big on the messaging and the promises, small on delivery. So today I've invited Opposition Sports Spokeswoman, Senator Anne Ruston on to 4BC Drive to talk about this. Senator, thanks for your time.

Anne Ruston: My pleasure.

Peter Gleeson: I can't believe this. Not a single cent out the door, and yet Anika Wells is still globe-trotting around the world. She's at the Olympics, not doing much else really.

Anne Ruston: Well, it's pretty sad when you make all these promises, but unfortunately, it's been a bit of a track record of this government and this Minister. They're all happy to turn up for the photo opportunity with the elite athlete, but not so happy to actually, when the rubber hits the road, to actually do the things they promised to do. And this is about getting young girls particularly, but our young Australians, access to the sporting facilities so that they can get out there and compete, so we're getting them off their iPads and off their iPhones and actually seeing them kick a ball, throw a ball, go for a run, which is just so important, not just as a feeder into our fantastic elite athletes that we're watching at the moment, but just so we've got a fit and healthy young Australian population.

Peter Gleeson: Senator, can you just give our listeners an insight into what these local clubs have had to go through just to apply for these grants, and why it's taking so long for them to be processed?

Anne Ruston: Well, I can't tell you why it's been taking so long for them to be processed. That's a question the Government needs to answer. It needs to answer to these hundreds and hundreds of clubs across Australia, who have been working really hard putting applications together. Because I've got to tell you, making an application for a government grant is no easy feat. There's a lot of information because, I mean, obviously we need to make sure that we're getting the best value for money in terms of providing these grants. So they put a lot of energy and effort and a lot of time into making these applications. And then they do all the work, they get told they're going to be told at a certain time, and we all thought that we were going to know before the end of the financial year, and here we are in the middle of the Olympics and we haven't heard anything. It just really worries me that they're just waiting for another political opportunity to make an announcement, instead of actually allowing these grassroots clubs to be able to have the certainty to get on with the planning for these new facilities or, you know, upgrading the facilities that they want.

Peter Gleeson: And I think the biggest farce out of all of this - The $200 million funding is only meant to be part of a three-year plan. We're already a year in. Nothing's happened.

Anne Ruston: Well, absolutely. And, you know, the sceptic in me would say that they're just waiting for an appropriate opportunity when there's an elite athlete to be able to stand next to and have a photo taken. And it's just not fair. It's plainly not fair, because we want all of our kids to be able to get access to good sporting facilities because we want them to be participating in sport. And, you know, it's a pretty sad indictment on this government. They're great on the headline, great on the press release, not so good on the delivery.

Peter Gleeson: And, Anne, in the meantime, you've got young girls and women in certain parts of Queensland getting changed in male toilets or change rooms. In some places, they aren't even afforded that. It's ridiculous.

Anne Ruston: Well, we certainly hear as we travel around Australia, which I've been doing over the last two years and speaking to grassroots sporting clubs, you know, we've got girls who are changing in the back of cars. We've got girls who are changing in places that plainly aren't safe. So, we really do need to be addressing this inequity, because we are so proud of seeing our amazing female athletes performing in Paris. But that doesn't happen by accident. And so, we've got to make sure that all young Australians, both girls and boys, have an equal opportunity to be able to participate. Because, who knows, they might be the next lot of athletes that are running around in Brisbane in 2032.

Peter Gleeson: Indeed. Hey, just while I've got you. A quick one without notice. You're a senior member of the Opposition Cabinet. Today we saw Australia's terror threat level rise to probable. It was interesting. I just had Greg Sheridan on from the Australian, and he mentioned the fact that Tony Burke wasn't actually at that press conference. But just in relation to that escalation in the threat, does that worry the Opposition in Canberra?

Anne Ruston: Well, obviously, we're very bipartisan in our approach about keeping Australians safe. And we have called for a briefing from ASIO and the Federal Police to make sure that we're fully across the issues that underpin the decision by the Government today to move from possible to probable. But I think you make a very good point. Last weekend we saw sort of a deconstruction of the Department of Home Affairs, and today we see the Prime Minister making an announcement and yet the person who is in charge of Australia's national security, Tony Burke, the new Minister for Home Affairs, is nowhere to be seen. It's concerning, but we will, of course, do absolutely everything as the Opposition to support our fantastic officials and departments who look after the security of Australians. Because nothing is more important for a government or an opposition than making sure that the security of Australians is the number one thing that we look to make sure we secure.

Peter Gleeson: So the Prime Minister and security experts have been briefed by ASIO on this terror threat level. Surely - it is a bipartisan issue - Why was the Opposition not afforded the chance to be in those meetings, or is that just protocol?

Anne Ruston: Well, we’ve certainly asked for that. And as we speak I'm sure discussions are going on between the Shadow Home Affairs Minister, James Patterson, and the Leader of the Opposition, Peter Dutton, and the Government to make sure that we are up to speed with what's going on here. Because this is a very serious issue. And I think, you know, Australians need to be aware that these amazing officials and their departments and agencies, every day, are making sure that they do things to keep Australian safe. And I think this is just a very, very stark reminder about how we can never take our security for granted. And we have to thank these agencies and these people out on the front line every day for the fact they keep us safe.

Peter Gleeson: Senator Anne Ruston, thanks for your time.

Anne Ruston: My pleasure. Thanks Peter.

ENDS