Paralympics Australia

Mr COWDREY (Colton) (14:38): My question is to the Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing. Is the minister aware of any other state or territory government providing direct funding to Paralympics Australia through the games appeal fund and, if so, what was that funding?

The Hon. K.A. HILDYARD (Reynell—Minister for Child Protection, Minister for Women and the Prevention of Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing) (14:39): I thank the member for his question. I want to acknowledge we have had some conversations about this particular matter. I want to acknowledge his advocacy in this space and also his extraordinary career as a renowned Paralympian. It is fair to say, as I spoke about on ABC radio, he absolutely represented our country with such honour and dignity and I think everybody was incredibly proud of those efforts. Congratulations again.

I am glad you have asked this question so I can clear some things up, but also it just gives me a quick opportunity to extend really sincere congratulations to those South Australian athletes, and indeed all athletes, who participated in the Paralympic Games. I know that we are all very proud of them. So many of them were part of the SASI program, either scholars or graduates of the SASI program. I extend my congratulations to them and, like many South Australians, I am really looking forward to welcoming them home on Sunday.

As the Premier outlined, there has obviously been a request for funding that, I think, was made from Paralympics Australia on the day that the Paralympics commenced, or the day before. We spoke around that time. Like any request for funding, as the Premier has spoken about, that of course will be given due consideration—of course it will be.

I will give a little bit of background about funding to Paralympics in the past and to the Olympics as well. What I would say, as I said on radio, is through our SASI programs we contribute around $4.6 million annually to the development of athletes in all sorts of ways. Also, for each cycle of the Olympics and Paralympics we have, in the past, contributed particular funds. In those past cycles we committed $1.7 million and then recently to the appeals committee the $100,000 that I know the member is aware of.

What I can also say, though, is that in 2021 there was a request made of the then Liberal government to continue the funds that had been made at each of those four-yearly cycles. There had been a request in 2013, then in 2017 and then in 2021. Unfortunately, the response to that particular request was to defer it and not to make that contribution. However—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. K.A. HILDYARD: No, that is not the case. What is really important to understand is that Olympic cycles, four-yearly cycles, are funded. It is for the whole cycle. I am happy to provide you more information about how the funding system works. I say again: we also contributed, after that contribution, to each cycle—as the former Labor government was asked for, then the former Liberal government was asked for but did not respond to or deferred. We also then provided $100,000 for this games and we have had a request that we will consider. I really look forward to continuing our conversations about that.