EQUAL OPPORTUNITY IN SPORT

Mr PENGILLY (Finniss) (15:37): Some months ago—in fact, in summer, whenever that was—I was contacted by constituents of mine from Yankalilla who are actively involved in bowls. They brought to my attention the situation regarding the Equal Opportunity Act in South Australia and the effect on men's and women's bowls and open bowls on what was undertaken through a complaint by a couple of female bowlers back here a couple of years ago and the effect of it.

It is interesting. I followed through on this, and I got in touch with Bowls SA and consequently was put in touch with the subcommittee of Bowls SA which was looking at that. Indeed, one of the people on that subcommittee is from my electorate.

I had been working away for many months on this and became acutely conscious that many bowlers were highly uptight and upset over the fact that they were being dictated to over the Equal Opportunity Act and the ramifications of this decision that was taken. So, I had some legislation drafted and I held it for a while and did quite a bit more consultation—

Ms THOMPSON: Point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. I would like a bit of clarification about whether the member is, indeed, anticipating debate. I recall that he and one other member have given notice of a bill relating to this matter.

Mr PENGILLY: I have given notice of a bill, but I have not introduced a bill, sir.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The member is in order.

Mr PENGILLY: As a result of this, I had considerable consultation with many people, and I have been working through to get a result and to take something to my party room and to ultimately bring it to the house to seek some rectification of this problem which originated out of the bill from 1984. It must have impacted fairly deeply on the government because members got a letter from Bowls SA raising the subject; whereupon, they must have flown into some sort of apoplexy and decided, 'Well, we can't let the opposition grab all the glory on this. We'd better get busy and do something about it.'

What transpired is that yesterday, when I was ready to introduce my bill, up pops the member for Taylor and introduces an almost identical bill. I am very pleased that the government has decided it needs to get on board here, but they are a bit late. The bowls community and the wider public are well aware of what has been going on. I look forward, when the bills are debated, to getting a good outcome for the bowling community of South Australia. I think it is a ridiculous situation that the government has chosen to try to undermine this side of the house by trying to get the glory, but the message will be out there well and truly.

Bowls in country areas is enormous, as it is in the metropolitan area. However, the situation in the bush is that the numbers are quite often not there for men's bowls or women's bowls separately and, indeed, they have open bowls and they ask some of the ladies to play voluntarily in the men's bowls, and vice versa, as far as I know. The fact that they were threatened that they had to let them play was just blatantly ridiculous—I think so.

There are some areas where bowls would not survive if they did not mix it up. However, they should not have the threat of legal action being taken against them in so far as they must have women in men's bowls or they must have men in women's bowls. It is just blatantly ridiculous. I look forward to the debate when, ultimately, these bills are introduced. I look forward to hearing from many members. Apparently, the Parliamentary Bowling Club had a meeting today, as far as I know.

Mr Whetstone: New president.

Mr PENGILLY: There is a new president, I am told. I am sure they will swing right behind it. If it is the immediate past president, the member for Schubert, I introduced him to members of Bowls SA for a meeting back here a couple of weeks ago.

Mr Whetstone: The member for Hammond was unopposed.

Mr PENGILLY: The member for Hammond is now the president, unopposed, I take it. So that is good news. As I say, I think the parliament needs to come together on this and do something about it sensibly and get it sorted out so that the thousands and thousands of bowlers in South Australia can go about their business uninterrupted.