Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past month, most of you will be well aware that a federal election is happening tomorrow.
I’ve found it exceptionally difficult to decide who to vote for. And when you’re having trouble deciding, people always advise you to look at policies, not personalities.
When it comes to women’s sport, both parties have made commitments if they are successful at the polls tomorrow. Here are some of the major election promises that will have an impact on women’s sport, should the party proposing them be elected tomorrow.
Netball
Late last week, the Coalition announced a $30-million commitment to fund numerous initiatives in netball, from the grassroots through to the elite level.
Should Scott Morrison and the Coalition be elected, this will be the largest single investment in Australian netball by a federal government.
Key aspects of the investment include a new participation strategy at the grassroots level called Play Netball, support for Netball Australia’s bid for the 2027 Netball World Cup and support for further international engagement to support bilateral and multilateral relationships across the world. In terms of infrastructure, this investment would also fund the first ever international leadership hub for netball in Melbourne.
This announcement followed a commitment by the Labor party in October 2018 of $20 million over two years to assist Netball Australia with its grassroots participation and engagement programs, as well as support for the World Cup bid.
(Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images)
Rugby
Earlier this week, bipartisan support was announced for Ballymore, with the Coalition matching Labor’s $15 million election promise to turn the former Test venue into a national rugby training centre.
The Ballymore proposal is worth $35 million and would see the venue become the headquarters of the women’s game, the Queensland Reds men’s and women’s training base and a venue capable of hosting Australian Wallaroos Tests, club rugby and also fixtures from other sports with a capacity of 12,000.
The last two years has seen Rugby Australia commit to the 15-a-side women’s product through the commencement of the Super W competition and more opportunities for the Wallaroos to play international fixtures both independent of and alongside the Wallabies.
This facility would be another boost for a sport that is beginning to capture the imagination of the Australian public.
Hockey
On Monday’s visit to WA’s Curtin University, Morrison announced a $600,000 upgrade of the women’s change rooms and recovery facilities if his party returns to power.
While this upgrade will benefit plenty of sports, given many of Australia’s most prominent Hockeyroos are from Western Australia and the country’s high performance program is based in Perth, this funding will give hockey a particular boost in the lead-up to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Up until this point, the women’s hockey team have had to share facilities with the men, meaning that many of the women have to take their gear home from training every day, which can be frustrating and pose challenges for elite athletes.
Football
For the Coalition, turning Melbourne into a women’s sport hub has been a big focus.
As well as netball funding, Morrison has promised a new $15 million home for the Matildas, also based in Melbourne. This facility will host training camps and elite pathway programs for girls and women.
(Image: Supplied, Nike)
This funding is needed for women’s sport, but I wonder whether these promises are designed to garner support in a state where the government is unpopular with voters.
This money has also been matched by the Labor Party and is well timed given we are just one month out from the FIFA Women’s World Cup and the squad to compete in that tournament in France was announced this week.
Cricket
On Monday, the Labor Party announced a $30 million commitment towards the WACA Ground Improvement Project. While men and women play at the WACA, this funding will turn the venue into one with female-friendly facilities for our elite women’s teams.
AFL
Technically this funding could be listed under a number of sports, but the Labor Government has also pledged $5 million to upgrade Henson Park.
The venue is the home of the Newtown Jets, but this renovation would turn it into a multi-purpose facility that would also host AFL, in particular the Sydney Swans reserves.
Most importantly, this project includes construction of female change rooms, which means that the ground can also host the GWS Giants AFLW team, as well as a Sydney Swans AFLW team and a Cronulla Sharks NRLW team, when we get there.
Also on AFL, the Coalition has announced funding for a new high-performance home for women’s sport in NSW at the Royal Hall of Industries in Moore Park, which will assist the Sydney Swans in putting forward a bid for an AFLW team and also provide additional facilities for the NSW Swifts.
While the winner tomorrow still seems unclear to me, what is clear is that no matter which party is elected, women’s sport across the country will benefit.
liquorbox_
Roar Rookie
also spends his own time on holidays working in remote Aboriginal Communities.
IAP
Guest
The media did a number on Abbott. He was a much better PM and a much better person than Turnbull. Abbott was in it for the betterment of Australia, Turnbull was in it for himself.
Floyd Calhoun
Guest
Munro Mike- I’ve no time for Palmer either, but he’s no coal baron. Not in the true sense anyway. The coal barons in this country are Adani (India), Glencore (formerly Xstrata) & YanCoal (China). Rio Tinto left the scene 5-6 years ago.
Peter
Guest
Nope, I do remember, so I guess I’ve been around at least as long as you ( not that that’s much of a claim to fame for either of us). And I do remember RJLH being replaced by Keating - perhaps the learning is no to set up that sort of transition deal. Did Morrison support Turnbull? No. Did Morrison outsmart Dutton? Yes. Does that make Morrison any better than Dutton? No. And as for “Get-up remarks”: care to elucidate? I don’t y pay them much attention, although a lot more than the nonsensical “Captain Getup.” What a brain-snap he was!
Munro Mike
Roar Rookie
High taxes and welfare.....hmmm... There's welfare and there's services - in Scandinavia they tend to get the balance about right. Targeted welfare is generally seen as a far more specific means of wealth distribution than simply tax cuts or increased wages. It's via family benefits that school age kids families get supported. Welfare is a social engineering tool - - don't begrudge it - - it's better than a misguided sweep of a broad brush.
Munro Mike
Roar Rookie
Correct - and the profits to wages ratio has never been further apart. Granted - not across all industries. However - there generally comes a time when an adjustment of the pendulum is required. At very least - bring back penalty rates for weekends - I for one don't want the weekends further eroded as they are a vital time for social interaction - for community - in particular local sports and parents/kids/volunteers/coaches etc. Worth remembering - on a sports site.
Munro Mike
Roar Rookie
It's especially good for the schools that fund raise with a sausage sizzle.
Jonboy
Roar Rookie
Sorry Pete scomo did not back stab anybody, it was Dutton, i have voted Labor most of my life and loved and voted for the the great man Bob RIP but he was stabbed himself and dumped by his party you probably do not remember that . Just stick to your Get-up comments , and ignore the truth. Cheers !
Peter
Guest
Ha ha. Honest. That’s why he took and didn’t report the Rolex gift from the Chinese businessman, and why he claimed Parliamentary travelling allowance for his cycle rides, and why he makes damn sure there is a Channel 7 camera up his nose whenever he pulls on the budgie smugglers or gets in a fire truck. And no hate? Seriously? Do you deny the hatred with which he went after Julia Gillard because a woman had deprived him of his God-given birthright to be Emperor of Australia?
Peter
Guest
Fifty elections and you still can’t produce any evidence? Maybe you’re not wise, maybe you’re just old and have drunk the Lieberal KoolAid.
Peter
Guest
Evidence? Perhaps you’re confusing this with an “Honest John” (habloodyha) Howard non-core promise or Abbott’s 23 post-election broken promises? Of course I can see that if you’re an LNP supporter you’re easily confused.
Peter
Guest
Of course the backstabbing Saint ScoMo (cough) has never promised anyone anything (oh, except unmarked notes in brown paper bags). You’re fine if you’re in the top 10%. Otherwise fuggedaboudit.
Adam
Roar Guru
That's kind of how the redistribution of wealth works though. Not saying I agree with a lot of various party policies, but I'm pragmatic that funding goes and will continue to go to things I don't necessarily agree with
elvis
Roar Rookie
You can't see a difference between choosing to spend your money on something you want and and someone taking it off you and spending it on something they want? There is no irony involved. I'm happy to pay to watch sport but I don't expect people who don't like sport to subsidise me, especially as an adult.
Jonboy
Roar Rookie
If you hate Abbott obviously you have been brainwashed by Shorten's Get-up trash. He is a man who is honest, a surf life saver, volunteer fireman who has cycled and raised money for charity and more. A rare pollie that does not lie or bull...t and call's it as he see's it, obviously he does not appeal to everyone of course, also i have never seen any hate in this guy and he is a fighter.
Munro Mike
Roar Rookie
Palmer is almost good enough to make people forget that he is a coal baron and it's in his interests to ensure that Australia keeps carelessly digging up all this carbon based coal that's been out of the natural carbon cycle - for millions of years - and is exporting it for short term profit to nations who burn it and feed CO2 into the atmosphere at levels not seen for.....millions of years. But no - vote him in because of his ads without a thought for what he represents. He's scary that guy because I can understand the lure for many of those who are disaffected - - I can foresee an awful minority LNP govt reliant upon Hanson and Palmer........gee I hope not.
Munro Mike
Roar Rookie
#Hawtdawg The Chinese takeover began long ago. Remember John Howard sold our future gas security to China for a pittance (which helped their industry undercut us); and the resources boom that fattened the budget and made the Costello-Howard partnership look competent was driven by demand from China......and while Japan is the major recipient of our coal exports presently - trade with China is hardly a new thing and hardly a Labor nor LNP idiosyncrasy - obviously K.Rudd was also one for trading with China. The takeover of the South Pacific - - well, based on the concerns of Pacific nations about global warming and sea level rise - with the lack of any form of respect coming from Australia (the LNP) on this topic then, can you blame them??? Seriously - can you??
Seymorebutts
Roar Rookie
He was the first guy I ever voted for... and the day they knifed him was the last day I ever voted for the ALP ;-)
Doc Disnick
Roar Guru
So what if 80% of the income tax is paid by 10% of people? What if I said 50% of the world’s wealth is owned by the wealthiest 1%?… If a vast amount of the wealth is owned by the minority (which is the case in Australia) then it only stands to reason a vast majority of tax will be generated from this very same cohort. It’s not about tax. It’s about wealth distribution. Every major independent economic report indicates wealth inequality in Australia has risen steadily over the past decade, both under Labor and Liberal. It’s best to understand the core of the problem, rather than listening to slogans.
Liam Salter
Roar Guru
I meaaaan, Abbott was pretty bad. I actually quite liked Turnbull; was a pity he lost the gig. Bishop would have been a great leader for mine, and thank god Dutton didn't get in. On the flipside, Shorten just bores me. God our political figures in this country are just ... meh.