31 July 2006 - Joint Media Release

Kim Beazley, Leader of the Opposition and Senator Kate Lundy, Shadow Minister for Sport and Recreation

Congratulations to the Matildas !

Labor congratulates the Australian women's football team, the Matildas, for their performance at the Asian Football Confederation Cup and their automatic qualification for the 2007 FIFA World Cup in China.

The Matildas were unlucky to go down to China last night in a thrilling final which ended in a penalty shootout after a 2-2 draw at the end of extra time.

Making the final of the AFC Cup for the first time is a sign of Australia's competitiveness after Football Federation Australia's recent move into the highly competitive Asian Confederation.

The Matildas' automatic qualification for the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup in China with an emphatic 2-0 win over Japan on Thursday will allow the team to focus its preparation for the World Cup next year without having to concern itself with qualifying.

With more and more young women playing 'new' football every year, it is terrific that they will be able to follow and be inspired by their heroes in the lead up to and throughout the World Cup.

Labor hopes that with their success the Matildas will begin to receive the media coverage and sponsorship they deserve. These are the issues that will be taken up during the Inquiry into women in sport starting in Sydney on Wednesday this week.

Labor also congratulates the city of Adelaide on its staging of the AFC Cup finals - the first ever Asian Football Confederation tournament played in Australia.

Contact:        Taryn Langdon 0417 148 059 or 02 6277 3334 (Lundy)  George Svigos 0417 196 836 (Beazley)

28 July 2006 – Media Release

Labor Senator Kate Lundy addresses LHMU Union Delegate’s Convention

“A Federal Labor Government will rip up John Howard’s extreme industrial relations laws” Senator Lundy said today in her address to a delegate’s convention of the Liquor Hospitality and Miscellaneous Union (LHMU) in Canberra this week.

John Howard’s dog-eat-dog industrial relations world pits worker against worker. Labor will get rid of this brutal and unfair system.  We will abolish AWA’s. We will create a fair system to protect workers from unfair dismissal.

Labor will put in place an independent industrial umpire.  People will respect the decisions that are given by a fair and properly empowered Industrial Relations Commission. No-one respects John Howard for creating a system of AWA’s designed to prevent workers from receiving a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work.

Labor and the Unions are fighting a Prime Minister who is systematically destroying the rights and conditions that generations of Australians have worked and fought for. That is why it is critical his Government is removed at the next federal election.

The LHMU represents workers in many different sectors including child-care, aged-care, cleaning, hospitality, security and clubs workers, some of whom are amongst the lowest paid in the work force.

This delegate’s convention focussed on the impact of politics on the real life experience of members. Never has this impact been so great, with John Howard’s IR changes threatening the job security and rates of pay of union members.

I congratulate the LHMU for their continuing the fight against the extreme IR changes.

Federal Labor and the Unions will continue to work together to remove the Howard Government and restore the dignity of working people through a fair and decent industrial relations system.

Contact:          Taryn Langdon 02 6277 3334 or 0417 148 059

19 July 2006 - Media Release

Re-brand, re-hash and re-announce – that's this Government's way

The Government’s obesity announcement today represents a re-branded, re-hashed mish-mash of existing initiatives. The only new announcement is the National Nutrition Survey, which should have been done years ago!

It has been 10 long years since the last National Nutrition Survey so today’s news that another will finally be done under the Howard Government is long overdue and on it’s own, an inadequate response to rising levels of obesity in Australia.

The Government has claimed that a new Taskforce will make all the difference – but surely these Ministers ought to have been working together with community and industry on this important issue before now. Making this announcement when the problem is so well known, makes the Government look foolish and out of touch.

The Healthy Active Ambassador Program is merely an attempt to try and put the Howard Government brand on the good work many athletes and champions of healthy living are already doing in communities.

The claimed new Healthy Weight Website is a few extra pages on an existing web site. How can these Ministers claim this will help? It even carries a BMI (Body Mass Index) calculator, which some have claimed to be an inaccurate indicator of individual health.

The glossy press release regarding the Active School Curriculum refers to changes made in 2004, which came into effect in 2005. There is nothing new for our kids, just more re-hashing of the old.

There was no new money for the existing Active After School Communities program, despite the fact that the Howard Government has acknowledged that tens of thousands of Aussie kids are missing out.

Four existing programs, a taskforce that should have been happening anyway and a survey that should have been done years ago – not good enough!

Contact: Taryn Langdon 02 6277 3334 or 0417 148 059

14 July 2006 - Media Release

Clear guidelines still needed for athlete funding

It is about time Sports Minister Rod Kemp improved the way the funding is provided to our elite athletes.

As more details emerge about the Government's scheme, formerly Direct Athlete Support (DAS), now re-badged Australian Government Sport Training Grant (AGSTG), Labor hopes that the Minister also includes specific guidelines and criteria for the distribution of the funding.

Athletes need and deserve clarity and consistency.

The inconsistency and unreliability of the DAS scheme has been a problem for many athletes. Specific concerns were brought to light a fortnight ago by coach of athletics star Bronwyn Thompson.

Ranked third in the world and a Commonwealth Games silver medallist, Thompson was still waiting for support under DAS scheme in 2006 as she boarded a plane for Europe in preparation for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

In addition, leading into the Commonwealth Games, deserved recipients of DAS funding missed out on payments of up to $10,000 because their National Sporting Organisation omitted them from the list provided to the Australian Sports Commission. They were later included, however missed out on initial funding.

The Minister needs to guarantee that the added discretion provided to National Sporting Organisations does not result in more athletes missing out by virtue of personality clashes or other petty or unfair reasons.

Contact:  Taryn Langdon 02 6277 3334 or 0417 148 059

13 July 2006 - Media Release

Kangaroos or not … keep AFL in Canberra

I am disappointed with the decision today that the Kangaroos will no longer play three of their home games in Canberra.

It is my hope that the campaign to keep the Kangaroos in Canberra stands as a strong reminder to the AFL that the sport's future is not just about where the money is – it is about investing in regions who have an ongoing passion for Australian Rules and all that it brings to families and communities. 

Throughout the six year relationship with the region, the Kangaroos have inspired and encouraged many girls and boys to become active - they have met the Kangaroos and learnt to kick and handball.

The dramatic increase in the number of children participating in junior competition and Auskick programs is terrific. We thank the Kangaroos for their commitment to the region and their role in encouraging more participants.

It is well known that the Kangaroos and AFL games in Canberra had a positive impact on the broader ACT region – east to the South Coast and west through the Riverina.

For many AFL supporters they could travel to watch teams in the highest level of the game live for the first time.

The opportunity to watch AFL in Canberra is important to the region. I hope the chance for our school children to meet, learn and watch our AFL stars in action continues.

I encourage all parties to work hard to secure ongoing, regular AFL games in Canberra.

Contact: Taryn Langdon 0417 148 059 or 02 6277 3334