❓ Question regarding government support for baseball and other diamond-based sports following Perth Heat's Australian Baseball League championship win. The Minister outlines existing funding and acknowledges the sport's importance.
AnsweredQoN 34Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
BASEBALL — GOVERNMENT SUPPORT
Before I ask the minister my question, I offer him my best wishes on his birthday today. I congratulate Perth Heat’s success on the weekend after beating Adelaide Bite 7–1 in the deciding third game of the Australian Baseball League championships. Can the minister outline to the house what support the Liberal–National government will provide for sporting codes such as baseball and the other diamond-based sports? Mr T.K. WALDRON
Before I ask the minister my question, I offer him my best wishes on his birthday today. I congratulate Perth Heat’s success on the weekend after beating Adelaide Bite 7–1 in the deciding third game of the Australian Baseball League championships. Can the minister outline to the house what support the Liberal–National government will provide for sporting codes such as baseball and the other diamond-based sports? Mr T.K. WALDRON
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for her question and her ongoing support for sport, which is very strong. I thank her also for her birthday wishes. One of the members of Perth Heat, Mitch Graham, is also sharing a birthday, as is the member for Jandakot’s wife, so it is a very important day! This is a fantastic occasion for Western Australia. Mr J.M. Francis : Happy birthday, Vicki! Several members interjected. Mr T.K. WALDRON : Can I have a bit of quiet, because this is an important occasion for Western Australia. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Mr T.K. WALDRON : Members of Perth Heat are in the public gallery today. They have just done their state proud. If members opposite just listened for a minute, they might appreciate it. WA is very familiar with its two Australian Football League teams and the Western Warriors and the Western Force. What goes largely unnoticed is the great and tireless work undertaken by many Western Australians across a range of sports. They are working hard to grow other sporting codes, and baseball is one of them. Like many members, I am a keen supporter of sport and this year followed Perth Heat closely in the inaugural season of the Australian Baseball League. On behalf of everyone in this Parliament and all Western Australians, I congratulate Perth Heat on becoming the inaugural Australian Baseball League champions last weekend when they defeated Adelaide Bite by two games to one. I ask members to acknowledge the members of Perth Heat who are in the public gallery today. [Applause.] Mr T.K. WALDRON : All the players, coaches and everyone involved have certainly done their club, Western Australia, and their sport in general, proud, and I congratulate them for that. Last Saturday I was in Adelaide listening to the radio on my early morning walk after Adelaide Bite had won the first game of the best-of-three final. The Adelaide boys were happy and chirpy and talking about how they were about to create history, but our boys won the last two games convincingly, so now we can enjoy that success rather than the Croweaters. Well done! Perth Heat has been synonymous with success. They were very successful in the 1980s and 1990s, and more recently in the Claxton Shield. I was fortunate to be present when Perth Heat won the Claxton Shield in some very exciting games. We can take pride that we have tasted success in baseball. Recently Luke Hughes, a member of Perth Heat, made his major league debut for the Minnesota Twins, which is a fantastic effort. With Luke’s success, it is important to remember all the work done by those passionate people in Western Australia who are involved in baseball. They have built a very vibrant and successful pathway, and I congratulate them for that. That pathway, which starts with the Diamond Sports Academy, is now once again complete. Many Western Australians have the opportunity to represent Perth Heat in the Australian Baseball League and thus display their baseball talents in general. Through the Department of Sport and Recreation, the state government provided $80 000 to the Diamond Sports Academy in 2009–10. In my view, the success we are seeing shows that that was a good investment in the sport. Last year, Baseball WA received $70 000 in funding through our organisational sustainability program and another $10 000 specifically for regional development. It is important to note that baseball is played across Western Australia and has a very strong following in some of our regional areas. The government took part in the development of initiatives in the Goldfields, Pilbara and South West, and provided around $40 000 to support the country sport enrichment scheme. Last year I was also very fortunate to attend the baseball awards where I had the opportunity to talk to a lot of the younger players. I could sense the great excitement about the emergence of the new league. They were really looking forward to it. I spoke to the Perth Heat players outside the chamber today. This is a fantastic competition for them. Perth Heat played 40 gruelling games. Hopefully, the team will get the opportunity to travel to Korea in November to take part in the club championship competition, which would be a fantastic opportunity to experience playing in front of huge crowds. Before I finish, I want to highlight some of the outstanding athletes in this team. Luke Hughes is an outstanding member of the team. His hard work and dedication means he is poised to play an important role for the Minnesota Twins. There is no doubt that he is a fantastic role model to many young Western Australians, along with others, who I will mention briefly. They have shown what dedication and hard work can achieve, which is really important. Other young Western Australians who have excelled in Perth Heat and who also will be heading to the US in the coming weeks to continue their careers, for which I wish them all success, are Brendan Wise, Cameron Lamb, Allan de San Miguel, and the Kennelly brothers Tim and Matt. They will all go back to US professional teams. I am sure they will be on a high after winning this championship. Congratulations again. It is a wonderful achievement, and I hope we see future success and the continued growth of baseball in Western Australia. Well done.
I congratulate Perth Heat’s success on the weekend after beating Adelaide Bite 7–1 in the deciding third game of the Australian Baseball League championships. Can the minister outline to the house what support the Liberal–National government will provide for sporting codes such as baseball and the other diamond-based sports? Mr T.K. WALDRON replied: I thank the member for her question and her ongoing support for sport, which is very strong. I thank her also for her birthday wishes. One of the members of Perth Heat, Mitch Graham, is also sharing a birthday, as is the member for Jandakot’s wife, so it is a very important day! This is a fantastic occasion for Western Australia. Mr J.M. Francis : Happy birthday, Vicki! Several members interjected. Mr T.K. WALDRON : Can I have a bit of quiet, because this is an important occasion for Western Australia. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Mr T.K. WALDRON : Members of Perth Heat are in the public gallery today. They have just done their state proud. If members opposite just listened for a minute, they might appreciate it. WA is very familiar with its two Australian Football League teams and the Western Warriors and the Western Force. What goes largely unnoticed is the great and tireless work undertaken by many Western Australians across a range of sports. They are working hard to grow other sporting codes, and baseball is one of them. Like many members, I am a keen supporter of sport and this year followed Perth Heat closely in the inaugural season of the Australian Baseball League. On behalf of everyone in this Parliament and all Western Australians, I congratulate Perth Heat on becoming the inaugural Australian Baseball League champions last weekend when they defeated Adelaide Bite by two games to one. I ask members to acknowledge the members of Perth Heat who are in the public gallery today. [Applause.] Mr T.K. WALDRON : All the players, coaches and everyone involved have certainly done their club, Western Australia, and their sport in general, proud, and I congratulate them for that. Last Saturday I was in Adelaide listening to the radio on my early morning walk after Adelaide Bite had won the first game of the best-of-three final. The Adelaide boys were happy and chirpy and talking about how they were about to create history, but our boys won the last two games convincingly, so now we can enjoy that success rather than the Croweaters. Well done! Perth Heat has been synonymous with success. They were very successful in the 1980s and 1990s, and more recently in the Claxton Shield. I was fortunate to be present when Perth Heat won the Claxton Shield in some very exciting games. We can take pride that we have tasted success in baseball. Recently Luke Hughes, a member of Perth Heat, made his major league debut for the Minnesota Twins, which is a fantastic effort. With Luke’s success, it is important to remember all the work done by those passionate people in Western Australia who are involved in baseball. They have built a very vibrant and successful pathway, and I congratulate them for that. That pathway, which starts with the Diamond Sports Academy, is now once again complete. Many Western Australians have the opportunity to represent Perth Heat in the Australian Baseball League and thus display their baseball talents in general. Through the Department of Sport and Recreation, the state government provided $80 000 to the Diamond Sports Academy in 2009–10. In my view, the success we are seeing shows that that was a good investment in the sport. Last year, Baseball WA received $70 000 in funding through our organisational sustainability program and another $10 000 specifically for regional development. It is important to note that baseball is played across Western Australia and has a very strong following in some of our regional areas. The government took part in the development of initiatives in the Goldfields, Pilbara and South West, and provided around $40 000 to support the country sport enrichment scheme. Last year I was also very fortunate to attend the baseball awards where I had the opportunity to talk to a lot of the younger players. I could sense the great excitement about the emergence of the new league. They were really looking forward to it. I spoke to the Perth Heat players outside the chamber today. This is a fantastic competition for them. Perth Heat played 40 gruelling games. Hopefully, the team will get the opportunity to travel to Korea in November to take part in the club championship competition, which would be a fantastic opportunity to experience playing in front of huge crowds. Before I finish, I want to highlight some of the outstanding athletes in this team. Luke Hughes is an outstanding member of the team. His hard work and dedication means he is poised to play an important role for the Minnesota Twins. There is no doubt that he is a fantastic role model to many young Western Australians, along with others, who I will mention briefly. They have shown what dedication and hard work can achieve, which is really important. Other young Western Australians who have excelled in Perth Heat and who also will be heading to the US in the coming weeks to continue their careers, for which I wish them all success, are Brendan Wise, Cameron Lamb, Allan de San Miguel, and the Kennelly brothers Tim and Matt. They will all go back to US professional teams. I am sure they will be on a high after winning this championship. Congratulations again. It is a wonderful achievement, and I hope we see future success and the continued growth of baseball in Western Australia. Well done.
Mr T.K. WALDRON replied: I thank the member for her question and her ongoing support for sport, which is very strong. I thank her also for her birthday wishes. One of the members of Perth Heat, Mitch Graham, is also sharing a birthday, as is the member for Jandakot’s wife, so it is a very important day! This is a fantastic occasion for Western Australia. Mr J.M. Francis : Happy birthday, Vicki! Several members interjected. Mr T.K. WALDRON : Can I have a bit of quiet, because this is an important occasion for Western Australia. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Mr T.K. WALDRON : Members of Perth Heat are in the public gallery today. They have just done their state proud. If members opposite just listened for a minute, they might appreciate it. WA is very familiar with its two Australian Football League teams and the Western Warriors and the Western Force. What goes largely unnoticed is the great and tireless work undertaken by many Western Australians across a range of sports. They are working hard to grow other sporting codes, and baseball is one of them. Like many members, I am a keen supporter of sport and this year followed Perth Heat closely in the inaugural season of the Australian Baseball League. On behalf of everyone in this Parliament and all Western Australians, I congratulate Perth Heat on becoming the inaugural Australian Baseball League champions last weekend when they defeated Adelaide Bite by two games to one. I ask members to acknowledge the members of Perth Heat who are in the public gallery today. [Applause.] Mr T.K. WALDRON : All the players, coaches and everyone involved have certainly done their club, Western Australia, and their sport in general, proud, and I congratulate them for that. Last Saturday I was in Adelaide listening to the radio on my early morning walk after Adelaide Bite had won the first game of the best-of-three final. The Adelaide boys were happy and chirpy and talking about how they were about to create history, but our boys won the last two games convincingly, so now we can enjoy that success rather than the Croweaters. Well done! Perth Heat has been synonymous with success. They were very successful in the 1980s and 1990s, and more recently in the Claxton Shield. I was fortunate to be present when Perth Heat won the Claxton Shield in some very exciting games. We can take pride that we have tasted success in baseball. Recently Luke Hughes, a member of Perth Heat, made his major league debut for the Minnesota Twins, which is a fantastic effort. With Luke’s success, it is important to remember all the work done by those passionate people in Western Australia who are involved in baseball. They have built a very vibrant and successful pathway, and I congratulate them for that. That pathway, which starts with the Diamond Sports Academy, is now once again complete. Many Western Australians have the opportunity to represent Perth Heat in the Australian Baseball League and thus display their baseball talents in general. Through the Department of Sport and Recreation, the state government provided $80 000 to the Diamond Sports Academy in 2009–10. In my view, the success we are seeing shows that that was a good investment in the sport. Last year, Baseball WA received $70 000 in funding through our organisational sustainability program and another $10 000 specifically for regional development. It is important to note that baseball is played across Western Australia and has a very strong following in some of our regional areas. The government took part in the development of initiatives in the Goldfields, Pilbara and South West, and provided around $40 000 to support the country sport enrichment scheme. Last year I was also very fortunate to attend the baseball awards where I had the opportunity to talk to a lot of the younger players. I could sense the great excitement about the emergence of the new league. They were really looking forward to it. I spoke to the Perth Heat players outside the chamber today. This is a fantastic competition for them. Perth Heat played 40 gruelling games. Hopefully, the team will get the opportunity to travel to Korea in November to take part in the club championship competition, which would be a fantastic opportunity to experience playing in front of huge crowds. Before I finish, I want to highlight some of the outstanding athletes in this team. Luke Hughes is an outstanding member of the team. His hard work and dedication means he is poised to play an important role for the Minnesota Twins. There is no doubt that he is a fantastic role model to many young Western Australians, along with others, who I will mention briefly. They have shown what dedication and hard work can achieve, which is really important. Other young Western Australians who have excelled in Perth Heat and who also will be heading to the US in the coming weeks to continue their careers, for which I wish them all success, are Brendan Wise, Cameron Lamb, Allan de San Miguel, and the Kennelly brothers Tim and Matt. They will all go back to US professional teams. I am sure they will be on a high after winning this championship. Congratulations again. It is a wonderful achievement, and I hope we see future success and the continued growth of baseball in Western Australia. Well done.
I thank the member for her question and her ongoing support for sport, which is very strong. I thank her also for her birthday wishes. One of the members of Perth Heat, Mitch Graham, is also sharing a birthday, as is the member for Jandakot’s wife, so it is a very important day! This is a fantastic occasion for Western Australia. Mr J.M. Francis : Happy birthday, Vicki! Several members interjected. Mr T.K. WALDRON : Can I have a bit of quiet, because this is an important occasion for Western Australia. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Mr T.K. WALDRON : Members of Perth Heat are in the public gallery today. They have just done their state proud. If members opposite just listened for a minute, they might appreciate it. WA is very familiar with its two Australian Football League teams and the Western Warriors and the Western Force. What goes largely unnoticed is the great and tireless work undertaken by many Western Australians across a range of sports. They are working hard to grow other sporting codes, and baseball is one of them. Like many members, I am a keen supporter of sport and this year followed Perth Heat closely in the inaugural season of the Australian Baseball League. On behalf of everyone in this Parliament and all Western Australians, I congratulate Perth Heat on becoming the inaugural Australian Baseball League champions last weekend when they defeated Adelaide Bite by two games to one. I ask members to acknowledge the members of Perth Heat who are in the public gallery today. [Applause.] Mr T.K. WALDRON : All the players, coaches and everyone involved have certainly done their club, Western Australia, and their sport in general, proud, and I congratulate them for that. Last Saturday I was in Adelaide listening to the radio on my early morning walk after Adelaide Bite had won the first game of the best-of-three final. The Adelaide boys were happy and chirpy and talking about how they were about to create history, but our boys won the last two games convincingly, so now we can enjoy that success rather than the Croweaters. Well done! Perth Heat has been synonymous with success. They were very successful in the 1980s and 1990s, and more recently in the Claxton Shield. I was fortunate to be present when Perth Heat won the Claxton Shield in some very exciting games. We can take pride that we have tasted success in baseball. Recently Luke Hughes, a member of Perth Heat, made his major league debut for the Minnesota Twins, which is a fantastic effort. With Luke’s success, it is important to remember all the work done by those passionate people in Western Australia who are involved in baseball. They have built a very vibrant and successful pathway, and I congratulate them for that. That pathway, which starts with the Diamond Sports Academy, is now once again complete. Many Western Australians have the opportunity to represent Perth Heat in the Australian Baseball League and thus display their baseball talents in general. Through the Department of Sport and Recreation, the state government provided $80 000 to the Diamond Sports Academy in 2009–10. In my view, the success we are seeing shows that that was a good investment in the sport. Last year, Baseball WA received $70 000 in funding through our organisational sustainability program and another $10 000 specifically for regional development. It is important to note that baseball is played across Western Australia and has a very strong following in some of our regional areas. The government took part in the development of initiatives in the Goldfields, Pilbara and South West, and provided around $40 000 to support the country sport enrichment scheme. Last year I was also very fortunate to attend the baseball awards where I had the opportunity to talk to a lot of the younger players. I could sense the great excitement about the emergence of the new league. They were really looking forward to it. I spoke to the Perth Heat players outside the chamber today. This is a fantastic competition for them. Perth Heat played 40 gruelling games. Hopefully, the team will get the opportunity to travel to Korea in November to take part in the club championship competition, which would be a fantastic opportunity to experience playing in front of huge crowds. Before I finish, I want to highlight some of the outstanding athletes in this team. Luke Hughes is an outstanding member of the team. His hard work and dedication means he is poised to play an important role for the Minnesota Twins. There is no doubt that he is a fantastic role model to many young Western Australians, along with others, who I will mention briefly. They have shown what dedication and hard work can achieve, which is really important. Other young Western Australians who have excelled in Perth Heat and who also will be heading to the US in the coming weeks to continue their careers, for which I wish them all success, are Brendan Wise, Cameron Lamb, Allan de San Miguel, and the Kennelly brothers Tim and Matt. They will all go back to US professional teams. I am sure they will be on a high after winning this championship. Congratulations again. It is a wonderful achievement, and I hope we see future success and the continued growth of baseball in Western Australia. Well done.
This is a fantastic occasion for Western Australia. Mr J.M. Francis : Happy birthday, Vicki! Several members interjected. Mr T.K. WALDRON : Can I have a bit of quiet, because this is an important occasion for Western Australia. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Mr T.K. WALDRON : Members of Perth Heat are in the public gallery today. They have just done their state proud. If members opposite just listened for a minute, they might appreciate it. WA is very familiar with its two Australian Football League teams and the Western Warriors and the Western Force. What goes largely unnoticed is the great and tireless work undertaken by many Western Australians across a range of sports. They are working hard to grow other sporting codes, and baseball is one of them. Like many members, I am a keen supporter of sport and this year followed Perth Heat closely in the inaugural season of the Australian Baseball League. On behalf of everyone in this Parliament and all Western Australians, I congratulate Perth Heat on becoming the inaugural Australian Baseball League champions last weekend when they defeated Adelaide Bite by two games to one. I ask members to acknowledge the members of Perth Heat who are in the public gallery today. [Applause.] Mr T.K. WALDRON : All the players, coaches and everyone involved have certainly done their club, Western Australia, and their sport in general, proud, and I congratulate them for that. Last Saturday I was in Adelaide listening to the radio on my early morning walk after Adelaide Bite had won the first game of the best-of-three final. The Adelaide boys were happy and chirpy and talking about how they were about to create history, but our boys won the last two games convincingly, so now we can enjoy that success rather than the Croweaters. Well done! Perth Heat has been synonymous with success. They were very successful in the 1980s and 1990s, and more recently in the Claxton Shield. I was fortunate to be present when Perth Heat won the Claxton Shield in some very exciting games. We can take pride that we have tasted success in baseball. Recently Luke Hughes, a member of Perth Heat, made his major league debut for the Minnesota Twins, which is a fantastic effort. With Luke’s success, it is important to remember all the work done by those passionate people in Western Australia who are involved in baseball. They have built a very vibrant and successful pathway, and I congratulate them for that. That pathway, which starts with the Diamond Sports Academy, is now once again complete. Many Western Australians have the opportunity to represent Perth Heat in the Australian Baseball League and thus display their baseball talents in general. Through the Department of Sport and Recreation, the state government provided $80 000 to the Diamond Sports Academy in 2009–10. In my view, the success we are seeing shows that that was a good investment in the sport. Last year, Baseball WA received $70 000 in funding through our organisational sustainability program and another $10 000 specifically for regional development. It is important to note that baseball is played across Western Australia and has a very strong following in some of our regional areas. The government took part in the development of initiatives in the Goldfields, Pilbara and South West, and provided around $40 000 to support the country sport enrichment scheme. Last year I was also very fortunate to attend the baseball awards where I had the opportunity to talk to a lot of the younger players. I could sense the great excitement about the emergence of the new league. They were really looking forward to it. I spoke to the Perth Heat players outside the chamber today. This is a fantastic competition for them. Perth Heat played 40 gruelling games. Hopefully, the team will get the opportunity to travel to Korea in November to take part in the club championship competition, which would be a fantastic opportunity to experience playing in front of huge crowds. Before I finish, I want to highlight some of the outstanding athletes in this team. Luke Hughes is an outstanding member of the team. His hard work and dedication means he is poised to play an important role for the Minnesota Twins. There is no doubt that he is a fantastic role model to many young Western Australians, along with others, who I will mention briefly. They have shown what dedication and hard work can achieve, which is really important. Other young Western Australians who have excelled in Perth Heat and who also will be heading to the US in the coming weeks to continue their careers, for which I wish them all success, are Brendan Wise, Cameron Lamb, Allan de San Miguel, and the Kennelly brothers Tim and Matt. They will all go back to US professional teams. I am sure they will be on a high after winning this championship. Congratulations again. It is a wonderful achievement, and I hope we see future success and the continued growth of baseball in Western Australia. Well done.
Mr J.M. Francis : Happy birthday, Vicki! Several members interjected. Mr T.K. WALDRON : Can I have a bit of quiet, because this is an important occasion for Western Australia. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Mr T.K. WALDRON : Members of Perth Heat are in the public gallery today. They have just done their state proud. If members opposite just listened for a minute, they might appreciate it. WA is very familiar with its two Australian Football League teams and the Western Warriors and the Western Force. What goes largely unnoticed is the great and tireless work undertaken by many Western Australians across a range of sports. They are working hard to grow other sporting codes, and baseball is one of them. Like many members, I am a keen supporter of sport and this year followed Perth Heat closely in the inaugural season of the Australian Baseball League. On behalf of everyone in this Parliament and all Western Australians, I congratulate Perth Heat on becoming the inaugural Australian Baseball League champions last weekend when they defeated Adelaide Bite by two games to one. I ask members to acknowledge the members of Perth Heat who are in the public gallery today. [Applause.] Mr T.K. WALDRON : All the players, coaches and everyone involved have certainly done their club, Western Australia, and their sport in general, proud, and I congratulate them for that. Last Saturday I was in Adelaide listening to the radio on my early morning walk after Adelaide Bite had won the first game of the best-of-three final. The Adelaide boys were happy and chirpy and talking about how they were about to create history, but our boys won the last two games convincingly, so now we can enjoy that success rather than the Croweaters. Well done! Perth Heat has been synonymous with success. They were very successful in the 1980s and 1990s, and more recently in the Claxton Shield. I was fortunate to be present when Perth Heat won the Claxton Shield in some very exciting games. We can take pride that we have tasted success in baseball. Recently Luke Hughes, a member of Perth Heat, made his major league debut for the Minnesota Twins, which is a fantastic effort. With Luke’s success, it is important to remember all the work done by those passionate people in Western Australia who are involved in baseball. They have built a very vibrant and successful pathway, and I congratulate them for that. That pathway, which starts with the Diamond Sports Academy, is now once again complete. Many Western Australians have the opportunity to represent Perth Heat in the Australian Baseball League and thus display their baseball talents in general. Through the Department of Sport and Recreation, the state government provided $80 000 to the Diamond Sports Academy in 2009–10. In my view, the success we are seeing shows that that was a good investment in the sport. Last year, Baseball WA received $70 000 in funding through our organisational sustainability program and another $10 000 specifically for regional development. It is important to note that baseball is played across Western Australia and has a very strong following in some of our regional areas. The government took part in the development of initiatives in the Goldfields, Pilbara and South West, and provided around $40 000 to support the country sport enrichment scheme. Last year I was also very fortunate to attend the baseball awards where I had the opportunity to talk to a lot of the younger players. I could sense the great excitement about the emergence of the new league. They were really looking forward to it. I spoke to the Perth Heat players outside the chamber today. This is a fantastic competition for them. Perth Heat played 40 gruelling games. Hopefully, the team will get the opportunity to travel to Korea in November to take part in the club championship competition, which would be a fantastic opportunity to experience playing in front of huge crowds. Before I finish, I want to highlight some of the outstanding athletes in this team. Luke Hughes is an outstanding member of the team. His hard work and dedication means he is poised to play an important role for the Minnesota Twins. There is no doubt that he is a fantastic role model to many young Western Australians, along with others, who I will mention briefly. They have shown what dedication and hard work can achieve, which is really important. Other young Western Australians who have excelled in Perth Heat and who also will be heading to the US in the coming weeks to continue their careers, for which I wish them all success, are Brendan Wise, Cameron Lamb, Allan de San Miguel, and the Kennelly brothers Tim and Matt. They will all go back to US professional teams. I am sure they will be on a high after winning this championship. Congratulations again. It is a wonderful achievement, and I hope we see future success and the continued growth of baseball in Western Australia. Well done.
Several members interjected. Mr T.K. WALDRON : Can I have a bit of quiet, because this is an important occasion for Western Australia. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Mr T.K. WALDRON : Members of Perth Heat are in the public gallery today. They have just done their state proud. If members opposite just listened for a minute, they might appreciate it. WA is very familiar with its two Australian Football League teams and the Western Warriors and the Western Force. What goes largely unnoticed is the great and tireless work undertaken by many Western Australians across a range of sports. They are working hard to grow other sporting codes, and baseball is one of them. Like many members, I am a keen supporter of sport and this year followed Perth Heat closely in the inaugural season of the Australian Baseball League. On behalf of everyone in this Parliament and all Western Australians, I congratulate Perth Heat on becoming the inaugural Australian Baseball League champions last weekend when they defeated Adelaide Bite by two games to one. I ask members to acknowledge the members of Perth Heat who are in the public gallery today. [Applause.] Mr T.K. WALDRON : All the players, coaches and everyone involved have certainly done their club, Western Australia, and their sport in general, proud, and I congratulate them for that. Last Saturday I was in Adelaide listening to the radio on my early morning walk after Adelaide Bite had won the first game of the best-of-three final. The Adelaide boys were happy and chirpy and talking about how they were about to create history, but our boys won the last two games convincingly, so now we can enjoy that success rather than the Croweaters. Well done! Perth Heat has been synonymous with success. They were very successful in the 1980s and 1990s, and more recently in the Claxton Shield. I was fortunate to be present when Perth Heat won the Claxton Shield in some very exciting games. We can take pride that we have tasted success in baseball. Recently Luke Hughes, a member of Perth Heat, made his major league debut for the Minnesota Twins, which is a fantastic effort. With Luke’s success, it is important to remember all the work done by those passionate people in Western Australia who are involved in baseball. They have built a very vibrant and successful pathway, and I congratulate them for that. That pathway, which starts with the Diamond Sports Academy, is now once again complete. Many Western Australians have the opportunity to represent Perth Heat in the Australian Baseball League and thus display their baseball talents in general. Through the Department of Sport and Recreation, the state government provided $80 000 to the Diamond Sports Academy in 2009–10. In my view, the success we are seeing shows that that was a good investment in the sport. Last year, Baseball WA received $70 000 in funding through our organisational sustainability program and another $10 000 specifically for regional development. It is important to note that baseball is played across Western Australia and has a very strong following in some of our regional areas. The government took part in the development of initiatives in the Goldfields, Pilbara and South West, and provided around $40 000 to support the country sport enrichment scheme. Last year I was also very fortunate to attend the baseball awards where I had the opportunity to talk to a lot of the younger players. I could sense the great excitement about the emergence of the new league. They were really looking forward to it. I spoke to the Perth Heat players outside the chamber today. This is a fantastic competition for them. Perth Heat played 40 gruelling games. Hopefully, the team will get the opportunity to travel to Korea in November to take part in the club championship competition, which would be a fantastic opportunity to experience playing in front of huge crowds. Before I finish, I want to highlight some of the outstanding athletes in this team. Luke Hughes is an outstanding member of the team. His hard work and dedication means he is poised to play an important role for the Minnesota Twins. There is no doubt that he is a fantastic role model to many young Western Australians, along with others, who I will mention briefly. They have shown what dedication and hard work can achieve, which is really important. Other young Western Australians who have excelled in Perth Heat and who also will be heading to the US in the coming weeks to continue their careers, for which I wish them all success, are Brendan Wise, Cameron Lamb, Allan de San Miguel, and the Kennelly brothers Tim and Matt. They will all go back to US professional teams. I am sure they will be on a high after winning this championship. Congratulations again. It is a wonderful achievement, and I hope we see future success and the continued growth of baseball in Western Australia. Well done.
Mr T.K. WALDRON : Can I have a bit of quiet, because this is an important occasion for Western Australia. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Mr T.K. WALDRON : Members of Perth Heat are in the public gallery today. They have just done their state proud. If members opposite just listened for a minute, they might appreciate it. WA is very familiar with its two Australian Football League teams and the Western Warriors and the Western Force. What goes largely unnoticed is the great and tireless work undertaken by many Western Australians across a range of sports. They are working hard to grow other sporting codes, and baseball is one of them. Like many members, I am a keen supporter of sport and this year followed Perth Heat closely in the inaugural season of the Australian Baseball League. On behalf of everyone in this Parliament and all Western Australians, I congratulate Perth Heat on becoming the inaugural Australian Baseball League champions last weekend when they defeated Adelaide Bite by two games to one. I ask members to acknowledge the members of Perth Heat who are in the public gallery today. [Applause.] Mr T.K. WALDRON : All the players, coaches and everyone involved have certainly done their club, Western Australia, and their sport in general, proud, and I congratulate them for that. Last Saturday I was in Adelaide listening to the radio on my early morning walk after Adelaide Bite had won the first game of the best-of-three final. The Adelaide boys were happy and chirpy and talking about how they were about to create history, but our boys won the last two games convincingly, so now we can enjoy that success rather than the Croweaters. Well done! Perth Heat has been synonymous with success. They were very successful in the 1980s and 1990s, and more recently in the Claxton Shield. I was fortunate to be present when Perth Heat won the Claxton Shield in some very exciting games. We can take pride that we have tasted success in baseball. Recently Luke Hughes, a member of Perth Heat, made his major league debut for the Minnesota Twins, which is a fantastic effort. With Luke’s success, it is important to remember all the work done by those passionate people in Western Australia who are involved in baseball. They have built a very vibrant and successful pathway, and I congratulate them for that. That pathway, which starts with the Diamond Sports Academy, is now once again complete. Many Western Australians have the opportunity to represent Perth Heat in the Australian Baseball League and thus display their baseball talents in general. Through the Department of Sport and Recreation, the state government provided $80 000 to the Diamond Sports Academy in 2009–10. In my view, the success we are seeing shows that that was a good investment in the sport. Last year, Baseball WA received $70 000 in funding through our organisational sustainability program and another $10 000 specifically for regional development. It is important to note that baseball is played across Western Australia and has a very strong following in some of our regional areas. The government took part in the development of initiatives in the Goldfields, Pilbara and South West, and provided around $40 000 to support the country sport enrichment scheme. Last year I was also very fortunate to attend the baseball awards where I had the opportunity to talk to a lot of the younger players. I could sense the great excitement about the emergence of the new league. They were really looking forward to it. I spoke to the Perth Heat players outside the chamber today. This is a fantastic competition for them. Perth Heat played 40 gruelling games. Hopefully, the team will get the opportunity to travel to Korea in November to take part in the club championship competition, which would be a fantastic opportunity to experience playing in front of huge crowds. Before I finish, I want to highlight some of the outstanding athletes in this team. Luke Hughes is an outstanding member of the team. His hard work and dedication means he is poised to play an important role for the Minnesota Twins. There is no doubt that he is a fantastic role model to many young Western Australians, along with others, who I will mention briefly. They have shown what dedication and hard work can achieve, which is really important. Other young Western Australians who have excelled in Perth Heat and who also will be heading to the US in the coming weeks to continue their careers, for which I wish them all success, are Brendan Wise, Cameron Lamb, Allan de San Miguel, and the Kennelly brothers Tim and Matt. They will all go back to US professional teams. I am sure they will be on a high after winning this championship. Congratulations again. It is a wonderful achievement, and I hope we see future success and the continued growth of baseball in Western Australia. Well done.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Mr T.K. WALDRON : Members of Perth Heat are in the public gallery today. They have just done their state proud. If members opposite just listened for a minute, they might appreciate it. WA is very familiar with its two Australian Football League teams and the Western Warriors and the Western Force. What goes largely unnoticed is the great and tireless work undertaken by many Western Australians across a range of sports. They are working hard to grow other sporting codes, and baseball is one of them. Like many members, I am a keen supporter of sport and this year followed Perth Heat closely in the inaugural season of the Australian Baseball League. On behalf of everyone in this Parliament and all Western Australians, I congratulate Perth Heat on becoming the inaugural Australian Baseball League champions last weekend when they defeated Adelaide Bite by two games to one. I ask members to acknowledge the members of Perth Heat who are in the public gallery today. [Applause.] Mr T.K. WALDRON : All the players, coaches and everyone involved have certainly done their club, Western Australia, and their sport in general, proud, and I congratulate them for that. Last Saturday I was in Adelaide listening to the radio on my early morning walk after Adelaide Bite had won the first game of the best-of-three final. The Adelaide boys were happy and chirpy and talking about how they were about to create history, but our boys won the last two games convincingly, so now we can enjoy that success rather than the Croweaters. Well done! Perth Heat has been synonymous with success. They were very successful in the 1980s and 1990s, and more recently in the Claxton Shield. I was fortunate to be present when Perth Heat won the Claxton Shield in some very exciting games. We can take pride that we have tasted success in baseball. Recently Luke Hughes, a member of Perth Heat, made his major league debut for the Minnesota Twins, which is a fantastic effort. With Luke’s success, it is important to remember all the work done by those passionate people in Western Australia who are involved in baseball. They have built a very vibrant and successful pathway, and I congratulate them for that. That pathway, which starts with the Diamond Sports Academy, is now once again complete. Many Western Australians have the opportunity to represent Perth Heat in the Australian Baseball League and thus display their baseball talents in general. Through the Department of Sport and Recreation, the state government provided $80 000 to the Diamond Sports Academy in 2009–10. In my view, the success we are seeing shows that that was a good investment in the sport. Last year, Baseball WA received $70 000 in funding through our organisational sustainability program and another $10 000 specifically for regional development. It is important to note that baseball is played across Western Australia and has a very strong following in some of our regional areas. The government took part in the development of initiatives in the Goldfields, Pilbara and South West, and provided around $40 000 to support the country sport enrichment scheme. Last year I was also very fortunate to attend the baseball awards where I had the opportunity to talk to a lot of the younger players. I could sense the great excitement about the emergence of the new league. They were really looking forward to it. I spoke to the Perth Heat players outside the chamber today. This is a fantastic competition for them. Perth Heat played 40 gruelling games. Hopefully, the team will get the opportunity to travel to Korea in November to take part in the club championship competition, which would be a fantastic opportunity to experience playing in front of huge crowds. Before I finish, I want to highlight some of the outstanding athletes in this team. Luke Hughes is an outstanding member of the team. His hard work and dedication means he is poised to play an important role for the Minnesota Twins. There is no doubt that he is a fantastic role model to many young Western Australians, along with others, who I will mention briefly. They have shown what dedication and hard work can achieve, which is really important. Other young Western Australians who have excelled in Perth Heat and who also will be heading to the US in the coming weeks to continue their careers, for which I wish them all success, are Brendan Wise, Cameron Lamb, Allan de San Miguel, and the Kennelly brothers Tim and Matt. They will all go back to US professional teams. I am sure they will be on a high after winning this championship. Congratulations again. It is a wonderful achievement, and I hope we see future success and the continued growth of baseball in Western Australia. Well done.
The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Mr T.K. WALDRON : Members of Perth Heat are in the public gallery today. They have just done their state proud. If members opposite just listened for a minute, they might appreciate it. WA is very familiar with its two Australian Football League teams and the Western Warriors and the Western Force. What goes largely unnoticed is the great and tireless work undertaken by many Western Australians across a range of sports. They are working hard to grow other sporting codes, and baseball is one of them. Like many members, I am a keen supporter of sport and this year followed Perth Heat closely in the inaugural season of the Australian Baseball League. On behalf of everyone in this Parliament and all Western Australians, I congratulate Perth Heat on becoming the inaugural Australian Baseball League champions last weekend when they defeated Adelaide Bite by two games to one. I ask members to acknowledge the members of Perth Heat who are in the public gallery today. [Applause.] Mr T.K. WALDRON : All the players, coaches and everyone involved have certainly done their club, Western Australia, and their sport in general, proud, and I congratulate them for that. Last Saturday I was in Adelaide listening to the radio on my early morning walk after Adelaide Bite had won the first game of the best-of-three final. The Adelaide boys were happy and chirpy and talking about how they were about to create history, but our boys won the last two games convincingly, so now we can enjoy that success rather than the Croweaters. Well done! Perth Heat has been synonymous with success. They were very successful in the 1980s and 1990s, and more recently in the Claxton Shield. I was fortunate to be present when Perth Heat won the Claxton Shield in some very exciting games. We can take pride that we have tasted success in baseball. Recently Luke Hughes, a member of Perth Heat, made his major league debut for the Minnesota Twins, which is a fantastic effort. With Luke’s success, it is important to remember all the work done by those passionate people in Western Australia who are involved in baseball. They have built a very vibrant and successful pathway, and I congratulate them for that. That pathway, which starts with the Diamond Sports Academy, is now once again complete. Many Western Australians have the opportunity to represent Perth Heat in the Australian Baseball League and thus display their baseball talents in general. Through the Department of Sport and Recreation, the state government provided $80 000 to the Diamond Sports Academy in 2009–10. In my view, the success we are seeing shows that that was a good investment in the sport. Last year, Baseball WA received $70 000 in funding through our organisational sustainability program and another $10 000 specifically for regional development. It is important to note that baseball is played across Western Australia and has a very strong following in some of our regional areas. The government took part in the development of initiatives in the Goldfields, Pilbara and South West, and provided around $40 000 to support the country sport enrichment scheme. Last year I was also very fortunate to attend the baseball awards where I had the opportunity to talk to a lot of the younger players. I could sense the great excitement about the emergence of the new league. They were really looking forward to it. I spoke to the Perth Heat players outside the chamber today. This is a fantastic competition for them. Perth Heat played 40 gruelling games. Hopefully, the team will get the opportunity to travel to Korea in November to take part in the club championship competition, which would be a fantastic opportunity to experience playing in front of huge crowds. Before I finish, I want to highlight some of the outstanding athletes in this team. Luke Hughes is an outstanding member of the team. His hard work and dedication means he is poised to play an important role for the Minnesota Twins. There is no doubt that he is a fantastic role model to many young Western Australians, along with others, who I will mention briefly. They have shown what dedication and hard work can achieve, which is really important. Other young Western Australians who have excelled in Perth Heat and who also will be heading to the US in the coming weeks to continue their careers, for which I wish them all success, are Brendan Wise, Cameron Lamb, Allan de San Miguel, and the Kennelly brothers Tim and Matt. They will all go back to US professional teams. I am sure they will be on a high after winning this championship. Congratulations again. It is a wonderful achievement, and I hope we see future success and the continued growth of baseball in Western Australia. Well done.
Mr T.K. WALDRON : Members of Perth Heat are in the public gallery today. They have just done their state proud. If members opposite just listened for a minute, they might appreciate it. WA is very familiar with its two Australian Football League teams and the Western Warriors and the Western Force. What goes largely unnoticed is the great and tireless work undertaken by many Western Australians across a range of sports. They are working hard to grow other sporting codes, and baseball is one of them. Like many members, I am a keen supporter of sport and this year followed Perth Heat closely in the inaugural season of the Australian Baseball League. On behalf of everyone in this Parliament and all Western Australians, I congratulate Perth Heat on becoming the inaugural Australian Baseball League champions last weekend when they defeated Adelaide Bite by two games to one. I ask members to acknowledge the members of Perth Heat who are in the public gallery today. [Applause.] Mr T.K. WALDRON : All the players, coaches and everyone involved have certainly done their club, Western Australia, and their sport in general, proud, and I congratulate them for that. Last Saturday I was in Adelaide listening to the radio on my early morning walk after Adelaide Bite had won the first game of the best-of-three final. The Adelaide boys were happy and chirpy and talking about how they were about to create history, but our boys won the last two games convincingly, so now we can enjoy that success rather than the Croweaters. Well done! Perth Heat has been synonymous with success. They were very successful in the 1980s and 1990s, and more recently in the Claxton Shield. I was fortunate to be present when Perth Heat won the Claxton Shield in some very exciting games. We can take pride that we have tasted success in baseball. Recently Luke Hughes, a member of Perth Heat, made his major league debut for the Minnesota Twins, which is a fantastic effort. With Luke’s success, it is important to remember all the work done by those passionate people in Western Australia who are involved in baseball. They have built a very vibrant and successful pathway, and I congratulate them for that. That pathway, which starts with the Diamond Sports Academy, is now once again complete. Many Western Australians have the opportunity to represent Perth Heat in the Australian Baseball League and thus display their baseball talents in general. Through the Department of Sport and Recreation, the state government provided $80 000 to the Diamond Sports Academy in 2009–10. In my view, the success we are seeing shows that that was a good investment in the sport. Last year, Baseball WA received $70 000 in funding through our organisational sustainability program and another $10 000 specifically for regional development. It is important to note that baseball is played across Western Australia and has a very strong following in some of our regional areas. The government took part in the development of initiatives in the Goldfields, Pilbara and South West, and provided around $40 000 to support the country sport enrichment scheme. Last year I was also very fortunate to attend the baseball awards where I had the opportunity to talk to a lot of the younger players. I could sense the great excitement about the emergence of the new league. They were really looking forward to it. I spoke to the Perth Heat players outside the chamber today. This is a fantastic competition for them. Perth Heat played 40 gruelling games. Hopefully, the team will get the opportunity to travel to Korea in November to take part in the club championship competition, which would be a fantastic opportunity to experience playing in front of huge crowds. Before I finish, I want to highlight some of the outstanding athletes in this team. Luke Hughes is an outstanding member of the team. His hard work and dedication means he is poised to play an important role for the Minnesota Twins. There is no doubt that he is a fantastic role model to many young Western Australians, along with others, who I will mention briefly. They have shown what dedication and hard work can achieve, which is really important. Other young Western Australians who have excelled in Perth Heat and who also will be heading to the US in the coming weeks to continue their careers, for which I wish them all success, are Brendan Wise, Cameron Lamb, Allan de San Miguel, and the Kennelly brothers Tim and Matt. They will all go back to US professional teams. I am sure they will be on a high after winning this championship. Congratulations again. It is a wonderful achievement, and I hope we see future success and the continued growth of baseball in Western Australia. Well done.
[Applause.] Mr T.K. WALDRON : All the players, coaches and everyone involved have certainly done their club, Western Australia, and their sport in general, proud, and I congratulate them for that. Last Saturday I was in Adelaide listening to the radio on my early morning walk after Adelaide Bite had won the first game of the best-of-three final. The Adelaide boys were happy and chirpy and talking about how they were about to create history, but our boys won the last two games convincingly, so now we can enjoy that success rather than the Croweaters. Well done! Perth Heat has been synonymous with success. They were very successful in the 1980s and 1990s, and more recently in the Claxton Shield. I was fortunate to be present when Perth Heat won the Claxton Shield in some very exciting games. We can take pride that we have tasted success in baseball. Recently Luke Hughes, a member of Perth Heat, made his major league debut for the Minnesota Twins, which is a fantastic effort. With Luke’s success, it is important to remember all the work done by those passionate people in Western Australia who are involved in baseball. They have built a very vibrant and successful pathway, and I congratulate them for that. That pathway, which starts with the Diamond Sports Academy, is now once again complete. Many Western Australians have the opportunity to represent Perth Heat in the Australian Baseball League and thus display their baseball talents in general. Through the Department of Sport and Recreation, the state government provided $80 000 to the Diamond Sports Academy in 2009–10. In my view, the success we are seeing shows that that was a good investment in the sport. Last year, Baseball WA received $70 000 in funding through our organisational sustainability program and another $10 000 specifically for regional development. It is important to note that baseball is played across Western Australia and has a very strong following in some of our regional areas. The government took part in the development of initiatives in the Goldfields, Pilbara and South West, and provided around $40 000 to support the country sport enrichment scheme. Last year I was also very fortunate to attend the baseball awards where I had the opportunity to talk to a lot of the younger players. I could sense the great excitement about the emergence of the new league. They were really looking forward to it. I spoke to the Perth Heat players outside the chamber today. This is a fantastic competition for them. Perth Heat played 40 gruelling games. Hopefully, the team will get the opportunity to travel to Korea in November to take part in the club championship competition, which would be a fantastic opportunity to experience playing in front of huge crowds. Before I finish, I want to highlight some of the outstanding athletes in this team. Luke Hughes is an outstanding member of the team. His hard work and dedication means he is poised to play an important role for the Minnesota Twins. There is no doubt that he is a fantastic role model to many young Western Australians, along with others, who I will mention briefly. They have shown what dedication and hard work can achieve, which is really important. Other young Western Australians who have excelled in Perth Heat and who also will be heading to the US in the coming weeks to continue their careers, for which I wish them all success, are Brendan Wise, Cameron Lamb, Allan de San Miguel, and the Kennelly brothers Tim and Matt. They will all go back to US professional teams. I am sure they will be on a high after winning this championship. Congratulations again. It is a wonderful achievement, and I hope we see future success and the continued growth of baseball in Western Australia. Well done.
Mr T.K. WALDRON : All the players, coaches and everyone involved have certainly done their club, Western Australia, and their sport in general, proud, and I congratulate them for that. Last Saturday I was in Adelaide listening to the radio on my early morning walk after Adelaide Bite had won the first game of the best-of-three final. The Adelaide boys were happy and chirpy and talking about how they were about to create history, but our boys won the last two games convincingly, so now we can enjoy that success rather than the Croweaters. Well done! Perth Heat has been synonymous with success. They were very successful in the 1980s and 1990s, and more recently in the Claxton Shield. I was fortunate to be present when Perth Heat won the Claxton Shield in some very exciting games. We can take pride that we have tasted success in baseball. Recently Luke Hughes, a member of Perth Heat, made his major league debut for the Minnesota Twins, which is a fantastic effort. With Luke’s success, it is important to remember all the work done by those passionate people in Western Australia who are involved in baseball. They have built a very vibrant and successful pathway, and I congratulate them for that. That pathway, which starts with the Diamond Sports Academy, is now once again complete. Many Western Australians have the opportunity to represent Perth Heat in the Australian Baseball League and thus display their baseball talents in general. Through the Department of Sport and Recreation, the state government provided $80 000 to the Diamond Sports Academy in 2009–10. In my view, the success we are seeing shows that that was a good investment in the sport. Last year, Baseball WA received $70 000 in funding through our organisational sustainability program and another $10 000 specifically for regional development. It is important to note that baseball is played across Western Australia and has a very strong following in some of our regional areas. The government took part in the development of initiatives in the Goldfields, Pilbara and South West, and provided around $40 000 to support the country sport enrichment scheme. Last year I was also very fortunate to attend the baseball awards where I had the opportunity to talk to a lot of the younger players. I could sense the great excitement about the emergence of the new league. They were really looking forward to it. I spoke to the Perth Heat players outside the chamber today. This is a fantastic competition for them. Perth Heat played 40 gruelling games. Hopefully, the team will get the opportunity to travel to Korea in November to take part in the club championship competition, which would be a fantastic opportunity to experience playing in front of huge crowds. Before I finish, I want to highlight some of the outstanding athletes in this team. Luke Hughes is an outstanding member of the team. His hard work and dedication means he is poised to play an important role for the Minnesota Twins. There is no doubt that he is a fantastic role model to many young Western Australians, along with others, who I will mention briefly. They have shown what dedication and hard work can achieve, which is really important. Other young Western Australians who have excelled in Perth Heat and who also will be heading to the US in the coming weeks to continue their careers, for which I wish them all success, are Brendan Wise, Cameron Lamb, Allan de San Miguel, and the Kennelly brothers Tim and Matt. They will all go back to US professional teams. I am sure they will be on a high after winning this championship. Congratulations again. It is a wonderful achievement, and I hope we see future success and the continued growth of baseball in Western Australia. Well done.
Last year I was also very fortunate to attend the baseball awards where I had the opportunity to talk to a lot of the younger players. I could sense the great excitement about the emergence of the new league. They were really looking forward to it. I spoke to the Perth Heat players outside the chamber today. This is a fantastic competition for them. Perth Heat played 40 gruelling games. Hopefully, the team will get the opportunity to travel to Korea in November to take part in the club championship competition, which would be a fantastic opportunity to experience playing in front of huge crowds. Before I finish, I want to highlight some of the outstanding athletes in this team. Luke Hughes is an outstanding member of the team. His hard work and dedication means he is poised to play an important role for the Minnesota Twins. There is no doubt that he is a fantastic role model to many young Western Australians, along with others, who I will mention briefly. They have shown what dedication and hard work can achieve, which is really important. Other young Western Australians who have excelled in Perth Heat and who also will be heading to the US in the coming weeks to continue their careers, for which I wish them all success, are Brendan Wise, Cameron Lamb, Allan de San Miguel, and the Kennelly brothers Tim and Matt. They will all go back to US professional teams. I am sure they will be on a high after winning this championship. Congratulations again. It is a wonderful achievement, and I hope we see future success and the continued growth of baseball in Western Australia. Well done.
Before I finish, I want to highlight some of the outstanding athletes in this team. Luke Hughes is an outstanding member of the team. His hard work and dedication means he is poised to play an important role for the Minnesota Twins. There is no doubt that he is a fantastic role model to many young Western Australians, along with others, who I will mention briefly. They have shown what dedication and hard work can achieve, which is really important. Other young Western Australians who have excelled in Perth Heat and who also will be heading to the US in the coming weeks to continue their careers, for which I wish them all success, are Brendan Wise, Cameron Lamb, Allan de San Miguel, and the Kennelly brothers Tim and Matt. They will all go back to US professional teams. I am sure they will be on a high after winning this championship. Congratulations again. It is a wonderful achievement, and I hope we see future success and the continued growth of baseball in Western Australia. Well done.
I congratulate Perth Heat’s success on the weekend after beating Adelaide Bite 7–1 in the deciding third game of the Australian Baseball League championships. Can the minister outline to the house what support the Liberal–National government will provide for sporting codes such as baseball and the other diamond-based sports? Mr T.K. WALDRON replied: I thank the member for her question and her ongoing support for sport, which is very strong. I thank her also for her birthday wishes. One of the members of Perth Heat, Mitch Graham, is also sharing a birthday, as is the member for Jandakot’s wife, so it is a very important day! This is a fantastic occasion for Western Australia. Mr J.M. Francis : Happy birthday, Vicki! Several members interjected. Mr T.K. WALDRON : Can I have a bit of quiet, because this is an important occasion for Western Australia. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Mr T.K. WALDRON : Members of Perth Heat are in the public gallery today. They have just done their state proud. If members opposite just listened for a minute, they might appreciate it. WA is very familiar with its two Australian Football League teams and the Western Warriors and the Western Force. What goes largely unnoticed is the great and tireless work undertaken by many Western Australians across a range of sports. They are working hard to grow other sporting codes, and baseball is one of them. Like many members, I am a keen supporter of sport and this year followed Perth Heat closely in the inaugural season of the Australian Baseball League. On behalf of everyone in this Parliament and all Western Australians, I congratulate Perth Heat on becoming the inaugural Australian Baseball League champions last weekend when they defeated Adelaide Bite by two games to one. I ask members to acknowledge the members of Perth Heat who are in the public gallery today. [Applause.] Mr T.K. WALDRON : All the players, coaches and everyone involved have certainly done their club, Western Australia, and their sport in general, proud, and I congratulate them for that. Last Saturday I was in Adelaide listening to the radio on my early morning walk after Adelaide Bite had won the first game of the best-of-three final. The Adelaide boys were happy and chirpy and talking about how they were about to create history, but our boys won the last two games convincingly, so now we can enjoy that success rather than the Croweaters. Well done! Perth Heat has been synonymous with success. They were very successful in the 1980s and 1990s, and more recently in the Claxton Shield. I was fortunate to be present when Perth Heat won the Claxton Shield in some very exciting games. We can take pride that we have tasted success in baseball. Recently Luke Hughes, a member of Perth Heat, made his major league debut for the Minnesota Twins, which is a fantastic effort. With Luke’s success, it is important to remember all the work done by those passionate people in Western Australia who are involved in baseball. They have built a very vibrant and successful pathway, and I congratulate them for that. That pathway, which starts with the Diamond Sports Academy, is now once again complete. Many Western Australians have the opportunity to represent Perth Heat in the Australian Baseball League and thus display their baseball talents in general. Through the Department of Sport and Recreation, the state government provided $80 000 to the Diamond Sports Academy in 2009–10. In my view, the success we are seeing shows that that was a good investment in the sport. Last year, Baseball WA received $70 000 in funding through our organisational sustainability program and another $10 000 specifically for regional development. It is important to note that baseball is played across Western Australia and has a very strong following in some of our regional areas. The government took part in the development of initiatives in the Goldfields, Pilbara and South West, and provided around $40 000 to support the country sport enrichment scheme. Last year I was also very fortunate to attend the baseball awards where I had the opportunity to talk to a lot of the younger players. I could sense the great excitement about the emergence of the new league. They were really looking forward to it. I spoke to the Perth Heat players outside the chamber today. This is a fantastic competition for them. Perth Heat played 40 gruelling games. Hopefully, the team will get the opportunity to travel to Korea in November to take part in the club championship competition, which would be a fantastic opportunity to experience playing in front of huge crowds. Before I finish, I want to highlight some of the outstanding athletes in this team. Luke Hughes is an outstanding member of the team. His hard work and dedication means he is poised to play an important role for the Minnesota Twins. There is no doubt that he is a fantastic role model to many young Western Australians, along with others, who I will mention briefly. They have shown what dedication and hard work can achieve, which is really important. Other young Western Australians who have excelled in Perth Heat and who also will be heading to the US in the coming weeks to continue their careers, for which I wish them all success, are Brendan Wise, Cameron Lamb, Allan de San Miguel, and the Kennelly brothers Tim and Matt. They will all go back to US professional teams. I am sure they will be on a high after winning this championship. Congratulations again. It is a wonderful achievement, and I hope we see future success and the continued growth of baseball in Western Australia. Well done.
Mr T.K. WALDRON replied: I thank the member for her question and her ongoing support for sport, which is very strong. I thank her also for her birthday wishes. One of the members of Perth Heat, Mitch Graham, is also sharing a birthday, as is the member for Jandakot’s wife, so it is a very important day! This is a fantastic occasion for Western Australia. Mr J.M. Francis : Happy birthday, Vicki! Several members interjected. Mr T.K. WALDRON : Can I have a bit of quiet, because this is an important occasion for Western Australia. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Mr T.K. WALDRON : Members of Perth Heat are in the public gallery today. They have just done their state proud. If members opposite just listened for a minute, they might appreciate it. WA is very familiar with its two Australian Football League teams and the Western Warriors and the Western Force. What goes largely unnoticed is the great and tireless work undertaken by many Western Australians across a range of sports. They are working hard to grow other sporting codes, and baseball is one of them. Like many members, I am a keen supporter of sport and this year followed Perth Heat closely in the inaugural season of the Australian Baseball League. On behalf of everyone in this Parliament and all Western Australians, I congratulate Perth Heat on becoming the inaugural Australian Baseball League champions last weekend when they defeated Adelaide Bite by two games to one. I ask members to acknowledge the members of Perth Heat who are in the public gallery today. [Applause.] Mr T.K. WALDRON : All the players, coaches and everyone involved have certainly done their club, Western Australia, and their sport in general, proud, and I congratulate them for that. Last Saturday I was in Adelaide listening to the radio on my early morning walk after Adelaide Bite had won the first game of the best-of-three final. The Adelaide boys were happy and chirpy and talking about how they were about to create history, but our boys won the last two games convincingly, so now we can enjoy that success rather than the Croweaters. Well done! Perth Heat has been synonymous with success. They were very successful in the 1980s and 1990s, and more recently in the Claxton Shield. I was fortunate to be present when Perth Heat won the Claxton Shield in some very exciting games. We can take pride that we have tasted success in baseball. Recently Luke Hughes, a member of Perth Heat, made his major league debut for the Minnesota Twins, which is a fantastic effort. With Luke’s success, it is important to remember all the work done by those passionate people in Western Australia who are involved in baseball. They have built a very vibrant and successful pathway, and I congratulate them for that. That pathway, which starts with the Diamond Sports Academy, is now once again complete. Many Western Australians have the opportunity to represent Perth Heat in the Australian Baseball League and thus display their baseball talents in general. Through the Department of Sport and Recreation, the state government provided $80 000 to the Diamond Sports Academy in 2009–10. In my view, the success we are seeing shows that that was a good investment in the sport. Last year, Baseball WA received $70 000 in funding through our organisational sustainability program and another $10 000 specifically for regional development. It is important to note that baseball is played across Western Australia and has a very strong following in some of our regional areas. The government took part in the development of initiatives in the Goldfields, Pilbara and South West, and provided around $40 000 to support the country sport enrichment scheme. Last year I was also very fortunate to attend the baseball awards where I had the opportunity to talk to a lot of the younger players. I could sense the great excitement about the emergence of the new league. They were really looking forward to it. I spoke to the Perth Heat players outside the chamber today. This is a fantastic competition for them. Perth Heat played 40 gruelling games. Hopefully, the team will get the opportunity to travel to Korea in November to take part in the club championship competition, which would be a fantastic opportunity to experience playing in front of huge crowds. Before I finish, I want to highlight some of the outstanding athletes in this team. Luke Hughes is an outstanding member of the team. His hard work and dedication means he is poised to play an important role for the Minnesota Twins. There is no doubt that he is a fantastic role model to many young Western Australians, along with others, who I will mention briefly. They have shown what dedication and hard work can achieve, which is really important. Other young Western Australians who have excelled in Perth Heat and who also will be heading to the US in the coming weeks to continue their careers, for which I wish them all success, are Brendan Wise, Cameron Lamb, Allan de San Miguel, and the Kennelly brothers Tim and Matt. They will all go back to US professional teams. I am sure they will be on a high after winning this championship. Congratulations again. It is a wonderful achievement, and I hope we see future success and the continued growth of baseball in Western Australia. Well done.
I thank the member for her question and her ongoing support for sport, which is very strong. I thank her also for her birthday wishes. One of the members of Perth Heat, Mitch Graham, is also sharing a birthday, as is the member for Jandakot’s wife, so it is a very important day! This is a fantastic occasion for Western Australia. Mr J.M. Francis : Happy birthday, Vicki! Several members interjected. Mr T.K. WALDRON : Can I have a bit of quiet, because this is an important occasion for Western Australia. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Mr T.K. WALDRON : Members of Perth Heat are in the public gallery today. They have just done their state proud. If members opposite just listened for a minute, they might appreciate it. WA is very familiar with its two Australian Football League teams and the Western Warriors and the Western Force. What goes largely unnoticed is the great and tireless work undertaken by many Western Australians across a range of sports. They are working hard to grow other sporting codes, and baseball is one of them. Like many members, I am a keen supporter of sport and this year followed Perth Heat closely in the inaugural season of the Australian Baseball League. On behalf of everyone in this Parliament and all Western Australians, I congratulate Perth Heat on becoming the inaugural Australian Baseball League champions last weekend when they defeated Adelaide Bite by two games to one. I ask members to acknowledge the members of Perth Heat who are in the public gallery today. [Applause.] Mr T.K. WALDRON : All the players, coaches and everyone involved have certainly done their club, Western Australia, and their sport in general, proud, and I congratulate them for that. Last Saturday I was in Adelaide listening to the radio on my early morning walk after Adelaide Bite had won the first game of the best-of-three final. The Adelaide boys were happy and chirpy and talking about how they were about to create history, but our boys won the last two games convincingly, so now we can enjoy that success rather than the Croweaters. Well done! Perth Heat has been synonymous with success. They were very successful in the 1980s and 1990s, and more recently in the Claxton Shield. I was fortunate to be present when Perth Heat won the Claxton Shield in some very exciting games. We can take pride that we have tasted success in baseball. Recently Luke Hughes, a member of Perth Heat, made his major league debut for the Minnesota Twins, which is a fantastic effort. With Luke’s success, it is important to remember all the work done by those passionate people in Western Australia who are involved in baseball. They have built a very vibrant and successful pathway, and I congratulate them for that. That pathway, which starts with the Diamond Sports Academy, is now once again complete. Many Western Australians have the opportunity to represent Perth Heat in the Australian Baseball League and thus display their baseball talents in general. Through the Department of Sport and Recreation, the state government provided $80 000 to the Diamond Sports Academy in 2009–10. In my view, the success we are seeing shows that that was a good investment in the sport. Last year, Baseball WA received $70 000 in funding through our organisational sustainability program and another $10 000 specifically for regional development. It is important to note that baseball is played across Western Australia and has a very strong following in some of our regional areas. The government took part in the development of initiatives in the Goldfields, Pilbara and South West, and provided around $40 000 to support the country sport enrichment scheme. Last year I was also very fortunate to attend the baseball awards where I had the opportunity to talk to a lot of the younger players. I could sense the great excitement about the emergence of the new league. They were really looking forward to it. I spoke to the Perth Heat players outside the chamber today. This is a fantastic competition for them. Perth Heat played 40 gruelling games. Hopefully, the team will get the opportunity to travel to Korea in November to take part in the club championship competition, which would be a fantastic opportunity to experience playing in front of huge crowds. Before I finish, I want to highlight some of the outstanding athletes in this team. Luke Hughes is an outstanding member of the team. His hard work and dedication means he is poised to play an important role for the Minnesota Twins. There is no doubt that he is a fantastic role model to many young Western Australians, along with others, who I will mention briefly. They have shown what dedication and hard work can achieve, which is really important. Other young Western Australians who have excelled in Perth Heat and who also will be heading to the US in the coming weeks to continue their careers, for which I wish them all success, are Brendan Wise, Cameron Lamb, Allan de San Miguel, and the Kennelly brothers Tim and Matt. They will all go back to US professional teams. I am sure they will be on a high after winning this championship. Congratulations again. It is a wonderful achievement, and I hope we see future success and the continued growth of baseball in Western Australia. Well done.
This is a fantastic occasion for Western Australia. Mr J.M. Francis : Happy birthday, Vicki! Several members interjected. Mr T.K. WALDRON : Can I have a bit of quiet, because this is an important occasion for Western Australia. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Mr T.K. WALDRON : Members of Perth Heat are in the public gallery today. They have just done their state proud. If members opposite just listened for a minute, they might appreciate it. WA is very familiar with its two Australian Football League teams and the Western Warriors and the Western Force. What goes largely unnoticed is the great and tireless work undertaken by many Western Australians across a range of sports. They are working hard to grow other sporting codes, and baseball is one of them. Like many members, I am a keen supporter of sport and this year followed Perth Heat closely in the inaugural season of the Australian Baseball League. On behalf of everyone in this Parliament and all Western Australians, I congratulate Perth Heat on becoming the inaugural Australian Baseball League champions last weekend when they defeated Adelaide Bite by two games to one. I ask members to acknowledge the members of Perth Heat who are in the public gallery today. [Applause.] Mr T.K. WALDRON : All the players, coaches and everyone involved have certainly done their club, Western Australia, and their sport in general, proud, and I congratulate them for that. Last Saturday I was in Adelaide listening to the radio on my early morning walk after Adelaide Bite had won the first game of the best-of-three final. The Adelaide boys were happy and chirpy and talking about how they were about to create history, but our boys won the last two games convincingly, so now we can enjoy that success rather than the Croweaters. Well done! Perth Heat has been synonymous with success. They were very successful in the 1980s and 1990s, and more recently in the Claxton Shield. I was fortunate to be present when Perth Heat won the Claxton Shield in some very exciting games. We can take pride that we have tasted success in baseball. Recently Luke Hughes, a member of Perth Heat, made his major league debut for the Minnesota Twins, which is a fantastic effort. With Luke’s success, it is important to remember all the work done by those passionate people in Western Australia who are involved in baseball. They have built a very vibrant and successful pathway, and I congratulate them for that. That pathway, which starts with the Diamond Sports Academy, is now once again complete. Many Western Australians have the opportunity to represent Perth Heat in the Australian Baseball League and thus display their baseball talents in general. Through the Department of Sport and Recreation, the state government provided $80 000 to the Diamond Sports Academy in 2009–10. In my view, the success we are seeing shows that that was a good investment in the sport. Last year, Baseball WA received $70 000 in funding through our organisational sustainability program and another $10 000 specifically for regional development. It is important to note that baseball is played across Western Australia and has a very strong following in some of our regional areas. The government took part in the development of initiatives in the Goldfields, Pilbara and South West, and provided around $40 000 to support the country sport enrichment scheme. Last year I was also very fortunate to attend the baseball awards where I had the opportunity to talk to a lot of the younger players. I could sense the great excitement about the emergence of the new league. They were really looking forward to it. I spoke to the Perth Heat players outside the chamber today. This is a fantastic competition for them. Perth Heat played 40 gruelling games. Hopefully, the team will get the opportunity to travel to Korea in November to take part in the club championship competition, which would be a fantastic opportunity to experience playing in front of huge crowds. Before I finish, I want to highlight some of the outstanding athletes in this team. Luke Hughes is an outstanding member of the team. His hard work and dedication means he is poised to play an important role for the Minnesota Twins. There is no doubt that he is a fantastic role model to many young Western Australians, along with others, who I will mention briefly. They have shown what dedication and hard work can achieve, which is really important. Other young Western Australians who have excelled in Perth Heat and who also will be heading to the US in the coming weeks to continue their careers, for which I wish them all success, are Brendan Wise, Cameron Lamb, Allan de San Miguel, and the Kennelly brothers Tim and Matt. They will all go back to US professional teams. I am sure they will be on a high after winning this championship. Congratulations again. It is a wonderful achievement, and I hope we see future success and the continued growth of baseball in Western Australia. Well done.
Mr J.M. Francis : Happy birthday, Vicki! Several members interjected. Mr T.K. WALDRON : Can I have a bit of quiet, because this is an important occasion for Western Australia. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Mr T.K. WALDRON : Members of Perth Heat are in the public gallery today. They have just done their state proud. If members opposite just listened for a minute, they might appreciate it. WA is very familiar with its two Australian Football League teams and the Western Warriors and the Western Force. What goes largely unnoticed is the great and tireless work undertaken by many Western Australians across a range of sports. They are working hard to grow other sporting codes, and baseball is one of them. Like many members, I am a keen supporter of sport and this year followed Perth Heat closely in the inaugural season of the Australian Baseball League. On behalf of everyone in this Parliament and all Western Australians, I congratulate Perth Heat on becoming the inaugural Australian Baseball League champions last weekend when they defeated Adelaide Bite by two games to one. I ask members to acknowledge the members of Perth Heat who are in the public gallery today. [Applause.] Mr T.K. WALDRON : All the players, coaches and everyone involved have certainly done their club, Western Australia, and their sport in general, proud, and I congratulate them for that. Last Saturday I was in Adelaide listening to the radio on my early morning walk after Adelaide Bite had won the first game of the best-of-three final. The Adelaide boys were happy and chirpy and talking about how they were about to create history, but our boys won the last two games convincingly, so now we can enjoy that success rather than the Croweaters. Well done! Perth Heat has been synonymous with success. They were very successful in the 1980s and 1990s, and more recently in the Claxton Shield. I was fortunate to be present when Perth Heat won the Claxton Shield in some very exciting games. We can take pride that we have tasted success in baseball. Recently Luke Hughes, a member of Perth Heat, made his major league debut for the Minnesota Twins, which is a fantastic effort. With Luke’s success, it is important to remember all the work done by those passionate people in Western Australia who are involved in baseball. They have built a very vibrant and successful pathway, and I congratulate them for that. That pathway, which starts with the Diamond Sports Academy, is now once again complete. Many Western Australians have the opportunity to represent Perth Heat in the Australian Baseball League and thus display their baseball talents in general. Through the Department of Sport and Recreation, the state government provided $80 000 to the Diamond Sports Academy in 2009–10. In my view, the success we are seeing shows that that was a good investment in the sport. Last year, Baseball WA received $70 000 in funding through our organisational sustainability program and another $10 000 specifically for regional development. It is important to note that baseball is played across Western Australia and has a very strong following in some of our regional areas. The government took part in the development of initiatives in the Goldfields, Pilbara and South West, and provided around $40 000 to support the country sport enrichment scheme. Last year I was also very fortunate to attend the baseball awards where I had the opportunity to talk to a lot of the younger players. I could sense the great excitement about the emergence of the new league. They were really looking forward to it. I spoke to the Perth Heat players outside the chamber today. This is a fantastic competition for them. Perth Heat played 40 gruelling games. Hopefully, the team will get the opportunity to travel to Korea in November to take part in the club championship competition, which would be a fantastic opportunity to experience playing in front of huge crowds. Before I finish, I want to highlight some of the outstanding athletes in this team. Luke Hughes is an outstanding member of the team. His hard work and dedication means he is poised to play an important role for the Minnesota Twins. There is no doubt that he is a fantastic role model to many young Western Australians, along with others, who I will mention briefly. They have shown what dedication and hard work can achieve, which is really important. Other young Western Australians who have excelled in Perth Heat and who also will be heading to the US in the coming weeks to continue their careers, for which I wish them all success, are Brendan Wise, Cameron Lamb, Allan de San Miguel, and the Kennelly brothers Tim and Matt. They will all go back to US professional teams. I am sure they will be on a high after winning this championship. Congratulations again. It is a wonderful achievement, and I hope we see future success and the continued growth of baseball in Western Australia. Well done.
Several members interjected. Mr T.K. WALDRON : Can I have a bit of quiet, because this is an important occasion for Western Australia. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Mr T.K. WALDRON : Members of Perth Heat are in the public gallery today. They have just done their state proud. If members opposite just listened for a minute, they might appreciate it. WA is very familiar with its two Australian Football League teams and the Western Warriors and the Western Force. What goes largely unnoticed is the great and tireless work undertaken by many Western Australians across a range of sports. They are working hard to grow other sporting codes, and baseball is one of them. Like many members, I am a keen supporter of sport and this year followed Perth Heat closely in the inaugural season of the Australian Baseball League. On behalf of everyone in this Parliament and all Western Australians, I congratulate Perth Heat on becoming the inaugural Australian Baseball League champions last weekend when they defeated Adelaide Bite by two games to one. I ask members to acknowledge the members of Perth Heat who are in the public gallery today. [Applause.] Mr T.K. WALDRON : All the players, coaches and everyone involved have certainly done their club, Western Australia, and their sport in general, proud, and I congratulate them for that. Last Saturday I was in Adelaide listening to the radio on my early morning walk after Adelaide Bite had won the first game of the best-of-three final. The Adelaide boys were happy and chirpy and talking about how they were about to create history, but our boys won the last two games convincingly, so now we can enjoy that success rather than the Croweaters. Well done! Perth Heat has been synonymous with success. They were very successful in the 1980s and 1990s, and more recently in the Claxton Shield. I was fortunate to be present when Perth Heat won the Claxton Shield in some very exciting games. We can take pride that we have tasted success in baseball. Recently Luke Hughes, a member of Perth Heat, made his major league debut for the Minnesota Twins, which is a fantastic effort. With Luke’s success, it is important to remember all the work done by those passionate people in Western Australia who are involved in baseball. They have built a very vibrant and successful pathway, and I congratulate them for that. That pathway, which starts with the Diamond Sports Academy, is now once again complete. Many Western Australians have the opportunity to represent Perth Heat in the Australian Baseball League and thus display their baseball talents in general. Through the Department of Sport and Recreation, the state government provided $80 000 to the Diamond Sports Academy in 2009–10. In my view, the success we are seeing shows that that was a good investment in the sport. Last year, Baseball WA received $70 000 in funding through our organisational sustainability program and another $10 000 specifically for regional development. It is important to note that baseball is played across Western Australia and has a very strong following in some of our regional areas. The government took part in the development of initiatives in the Goldfields, Pilbara and South West, and provided around $40 000 to support the country sport enrichment scheme. Last year I was also very fortunate to attend the baseball awards where I had the opportunity to talk to a lot of the younger players. I could sense the great excitement about the emergence of the new league. They were really looking forward to it. I spoke to the Perth Heat players outside the chamber today. This is a fantastic competition for them. Perth Heat played 40 gruelling games. Hopefully, the team will get the opportunity to travel to Korea in November to take part in the club championship competition, which would be a fantastic opportunity to experience playing in front of huge crowds. Before I finish, I want to highlight some of the outstanding athletes in this team. Luke Hughes is an outstanding member of the team. His hard work and dedication means he is poised to play an important role for the Minnesota Twins. There is no doubt that he is a fantastic role model to many young Western Australians, along with others, who I will mention briefly. They have shown what dedication and hard work can achieve, which is really important. Other young Western Australians who have excelled in Perth Heat and who also will be heading to the US in the coming weeks to continue their careers, for which I wish them all success, are Brendan Wise, Cameron Lamb, Allan de San Miguel, and the Kennelly brothers Tim and Matt. They will all go back to US professional teams. I am sure they will be on a high after winning this championship. Congratulations again. It is a wonderful achievement, and I hope we see future success and the continued growth of baseball in Western Australia. Well done.
Mr T.K. WALDRON : Can I have a bit of quiet, because this is an important occasion for Western Australia. Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Mr T.K. WALDRON : Members of Perth Heat are in the public gallery today. They have just done their state proud. If members opposite just listened for a minute, they might appreciate it. WA is very familiar with its two Australian Football League teams and the Western Warriors and the Western Force. What goes largely unnoticed is the great and tireless work undertaken by many Western Australians across a range of sports. They are working hard to grow other sporting codes, and baseball is one of them. Like many members, I am a keen supporter of sport and this year followed Perth Heat closely in the inaugural season of the Australian Baseball League. On behalf of everyone in this Parliament and all Western Australians, I congratulate Perth Heat on becoming the inaugural Australian Baseball League champions last weekend when they defeated Adelaide Bite by two games to one. I ask members to acknowledge the members of Perth Heat who are in the public gallery today. [Applause.] Mr T.K. WALDRON : All the players, coaches and everyone involved have certainly done their club, Western Australia, and their sport in general, proud, and I congratulate them for that. Last Saturday I was in Adelaide listening to the radio on my early morning walk after Adelaide Bite had won the first game of the best-of-three final. The Adelaide boys were happy and chirpy and talking about how they were about to create history, but our boys won the last two games convincingly, so now we can enjoy that success rather than the Croweaters. Well done! Perth Heat has been synonymous with success. They were very successful in the 1980s and 1990s, and more recently in the Claxton Shield. I was fortunate to be present when Perth Heat won the Claxton Shield in some very exciting games. We can take pride that we have tasted success in baseball. Recently Luke Hughes, a member of Perth Heat, made his major league debut for the Minnesota Twins, which is a fantastic effort. With Luke’s success, it is important to remember all the work done by those passionate people in Western Australia who are involved in baseball. They have built a very vibrant and successful pathway, and I congratulate them for that. That pathway, which starts with the Diamond Sports Academy, is now once again complete. Many Western Australians have the opportunity to represent Perth Heat in the Australian Baseball League and thus display their baseball talents in general. Through the Department of Sport and Recreation, the state government provided $80 000 to the Diamond Sports Academy in 2009–10. In my view, the success we are seeing shows that that was a good investment in the sport. Last year, Baseball WA received $70 000 in funding through our organisational sustainability program and another $10 000 specifically for regional development. It is important to note that baseball is played across Western Australia and has a very strong following in some of our regional areas. The government took part in the development of initiatives in the Goldfields, Pilbara and South West, and provided around $40 000 to support the country sport enrichment scheme. Last year I was also very fortunate to attend the baseball awards where I had the opportunity to talk to a lot of the younger players. I could sense the great excitement about the emergence of the new league. They were really looking forward to it. I spoke to the Perth Heat players outside the chamber today. This is a fantastic competition for them. Perth Heat played 40 gruelling games. Hopefully, the team will get the opportunity to travel to Korea in November to take part in the club championship competition, which would be a fantastic opportunity to experience playing in front of huge crowds. Before I finish, I want to highlight some of the outstanding athletes in this team. Luke Hughes is an outstanding member of the team. His hard work and dedication means he is poised to play an important role for the Minnesota Twins. There is no doubt that he is a fantastic role model to many young Western Australians, along with others, who I will mention briefly. They have shown what dedication and hard work can achieve, which is really important. Other young Western Australians who have excelled in Perth Heat and who also will be heading to the US in the coming weeks to continue their careers, for which I wish them all success, are Brendan Wise, Cameron Lamb, Allan de San Miguel, and the Kennelly brothers Tim and Matt. They will all go back to US professional teams. I am sure they will be on a high after winning this championship. Congratulations again. It is a wonderful achievement, and I hope we see future success and the continued growth of baseball in Western Australia. Well done.
Several members interjected. The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Mr T.K. WALDRON : Members of Perth Heat are in the public gallery today. They have just done their state proud. If members opposite just listened for a minute, they might appreciate it. WA is very familiar with its two Australian Football League teams and the Western Warriors and the Western Force. What goes largely unnoticed is the great and tireless work undertaken by many Western Australians across a range of sports. They are working hard to grow other sporting codes, and baseball is one of them. Like many members, I am a keen supporter of sport and this year followed Perth Heat closely in the inaugural season of the Australian Baseball League. On behalf of everyone in this Parliament and all Western Australians, I congratulate Perth Heat on becoming the inaugural Australian Baseball League champions last weekend when they defeated Adelaide Bite by two games to one. I ask members to acknowledge the members of Perth Heat who are in the public gallery today. [Applause.] Mr T.K. WALDRON : All the players, coaches and everyone involved have certainly done their club, Western Australia, and their sport in general, proud, and I congratulate them for that. Last Saturday I was in Adelaide listening to the radio on my early morning walk after Adelaide Bite had won the first game of the best-of-three final. The Adelaide boys were happy and chirpy and talking about how they were about to create history, but our boys won the last two games convincingly, so now we can enjoy that success rather than the Croweaters. Well done! Perth Heat has been synonymous with success. They were very successful in the 1980s and 1990s, and more recently in the Claxton Shield. I was fortunate to be present when Perth Heat won the Claxton Shield in some very exciting games. We can take pride that we have tasted success in baseball. Recently Luke Hughes, a member of Perth Heat, made his major league debut for the Minnesota Twins, which is a fantastic effort. With Luke’s success, it is important to remember all the work done by those passionate people in Western Australia who are involved in baseball. They have built a very vibrant and successful pathway, and I congratulate them for that. That pathway, which starts with the Diamond Sports Academy, is now once again complete. Many Western Australians have the opportunity to represent Perth Heat in the Australian Baseball League and thus display their baseball talents in general. Through the Department of Sport and Recreation, the state government provided $80 000 to the Diamond Sports Academy in 2009–10. In my view, the success we are seeing shows that that was a good investment in the sport. Last year, Baseball WA received $70 000 in funding through our organisational sustainability program and another $10 000 specifically for regional development. It is important to note that baseball is played across Western Australia and has a very strong following in some of our regional areas. The government took part in the development of initiatives in the Goldfields, Pilbara and South West, and provided around $40 000 to support the country sport enrichment scheme. Last year I was also very fortunate to attend the baseball awards where I had the opportunity to talk to a lot of the younger players. I could sense the great excitement about the emergence of the new league. They were really looking forward to it. I spoke to the Perth Heat players outside the chamber today. This is a fantastic competition for them. Perth Heat played 40 gruelling games. Hopefully, the team will get the opportunity to travel to Korea in November to take part in the club championship competition, which would be a fantastic opportunity to experience playing in front of huge crowds. Before I finish, I want to highlight some of the outstanding athletes in this team. Luke Hughes is an outstanding member of the team. His hard work and dedication means he is poised to play an important role for the Minnesota Twins. There is no doubt that he is a fantastic role model to many young Western Australians, along with others, who I will mention briefly. They have shown what dedication and hard work can achieve, which is really important. Other young Western Australians who have excelled in Perth Heat and who also will be heading to the US in the coming weeks to continue their careers, for which I wish them all success, are Brendan Wise, Cameron Lamb, Allan de San Miguel, and the Kennelly brothers Tim and Matt. They will all go back to US professional teams. I am sure they will be on a high after winning this championship. Congratulations again. It is a wonderful achievement, and I hope we see future success and the continued growth of baseball in Western Australia. Well done.
The SPEAKER : Thank you, members! Mr T.K. WALDRON : Members of Perth Heat are in the public gallery today. They have just done their state proud. If members opposite just listened for a minute, they might appreciate it. WA is very familiar with its two Australian Football League teams and the Western Warriors and the Western Force. What goes largely unnoticed is the great and tireless work undertaken by many Western Australians across a range of sports. They are working hard to grow other sporting codes, and baseball is one of them. Like many members, I am a keen supporter of sport and this year followed Perth Heat closely in the inaugural season of the Australian Baseball League. On behalf of everyone in this Parliament and all Western Australians, I congratulate Perth Heat on becoming the inaugural Australian Baseball League champions last weekend when they defeated Adelaide Bite by two games to one. I ask members to acknowledge the members of Perth Heat who are in the public gallery today. [Applause.] Mr T.K. WALDRON : All the players, coaches and everyone involved have certainly done their club, Western Australia, and their sport in general, proud, and I congratulate them for that. Last Saturday I was in Adelaide listening to the radio on my early morning walk after Adelaide Bite had won the first game of the best-of-three final. The Adelaide boys were happy and chirpy and talking about how they were about to create history, but our boys won the last two games convincingly, so now we can enjoy that success rather than the Croweaters. Well done! Perth Heat has been synonymous with success. They were very successful in the 1980s and 1990s, and more recently in the Claxton Shield. I was fortunate to be present when Perth Heat won the Claxton Shield in some very exciting games. We can take pride that we have tasted success in baseball. Recently Luke Hughes, a member of Perth Heat, made his major league debut for the Minnesota Twins, which is a fantastic effort. With Luke’s success, it is important to remember all the work done by those passionate people in Western Australia who are involved in baseball. They have built a very vibrant and successful pathway, and I congratulate them for that. That pathway, which starts with the Diamond Sports Academy, is now once again complete. Many Western Australians have the opportunity to represent Perth Heat in the Australian Baseball League and thus display their baseball talents in general. Through the Department of Sport and Recreation, the state government provided $80 000 to the Diamond Sports Academy in 2009–10. In my view, the success we are seeing shows that that was a good investment in the sport. Last year, Baseball WA received $70 000 in funding through our organisational sustainability program and another $10 000 specifically for regional development. It is important to note that baseball is played across Western Australia and has a very strong following in some of our regional areas. The government took part in the development of initiatives in the Goldfields, Pilbara and South West, and provided around $40 000 to support the country sport enrichment scheme. Last year I was also very fortunate to attend the baseball awards where I had the opportunity to talk to a lot of the younger players. I could sense the great excitement about the emergence of the new league. They were really looking forward to it. I spoke to the Perth Heat players outside the chamber today. This is a fantastic competition for them. Perth Heat played 40 gruelling games. Hopefully, the team will get the opportunity to travel to Korea in November to take part in the club championship competition, which would be a fantastic opportunity to experience playing in front of huge crowds. Before I finish, I want to highlight some of the outstanding athletes in this team. Luke Hughes is an outstanding member of the team. His hard work and dedication means he is poised to play an important role for the Minnesota Twins. There is no doubt that he is a fantastic role model to many young Western Australians, along with others, who I will mention briefly. They have shown what dedication and hard work can achieve, which is really important. Other young Western Australians who have excelled in Perth Heat and who also will be heading to the US in the coming weeks to continue their careers, for which I wish them all success, are Brendan Wise, Cameron Lamb, Allan de San Miguel, and the Kennelly brothers Tim and Matt. They will all go back to US professional teams. I am sure they will be on a high after winning this championship. Congratulations again. It is a wonderful achievement, and I hope we see future success and the continued growth of baseball in Western Australia. Well done.
Mr T.K. WALDRON : Members of Perth Heat are in the public gallery today. They have just done their state proud. If members opposite just listened for a minute, they might appreciate it. WA is very familiar with its two Australian Football League teams and the Western Warriors and the Western Force. What goes largely unnoticed is the great and tireless work undertaken by many Western Australians across a range of sports. They are working hard to grow other sporting codes, and baseball is one of them. Like many members, I am a keen supporter of sport and this year followed Perth Heat closely in the inaugural season of the Australian Baseball League. On behalf of everyone in this Parliament and all Western Australians, I congratulate Perth Heat on becoming the inaugural Australian Baseball League champions last weekend when they defeated Adelaide Bite by two games to one. I ask members to acknowledge the members of Perth Heat who are in the public gallery today. [Applause.] Mr T.K. WALDRON : All the players, coaches and everyone involved have certainly done their club, Western Australia, and their sport in general, proud, and I congratulate them for that. Last Saturday I was in Adelaide listening to the radio on my early morning walk after Adelaide Bite had won the first game of the best-of-three final. The Adelaide boys were happy and chirpy and talking about how they were about to create history, but our boys won the last two games convincingly, so now we can enjoy that success rather than the Croweaters. Well done! Perth Heat has been synonymous with success. They were very successful in the 1980s and 1990s, and more recently in the Claxton Shield. I was fortunate to be present when Perth Heat won the Claxton Shield in some very exciting games. We can take pride that we have tasted success in baseball. Recently Luke Hughes, a member of Perth Heat, made his major league debut for the Minnesota Twins, which is a fantastic effort. With Luke’s success, it is important to remember all the work done by those passionate people in Western Australia who are involved in baseball. They have built a very vibrant and successful pathway, and I congratulate them for that. That pathway, which starts with the Diamond Sports Academy, is now once again complete. Many Western Australians have the opportunity to represent Perth Heat in the Australian Baseball League and thus display their baseball talents in general. Through the Department of Sport and Recreation, the state government provided $80 000 to the Diamond Sports Academy in 2009–10. In my view, the success we are seeing shows that that was a good investment in the sport. Last year, Baseball WA received $70 000 in funding through our organisational sustainability program and another $10 000 specifically for regional development. It is important to note that baseball is played across Western Australia and has a very strong following in some of our regional areas. The government took part in the development of initiatives in the Goldfields, Pilbara and South West, and provided around $40 000 to support the country sport enrichment scheme. Last year I was also very fortunate to attend the baseball awards where I had the opportunity to talk to a lot of the younger players. I could sense the great excitement about the emergence of the new league. They were really looking forward to it. I spoke to the Perth Heat players outside the chamber today. This is a fantastic competition for them. Perth Heat played 40 gruelling games. Hopefully, the team will get the opportunity to travel to Korea in November to take part in the club championship competition, which would be a fantastic opportunity to experience playing in front of huge crowds. Before I finish, I want to highlight some of the outstanding athletes in this team. Luke Hughes is an outstanding member of the team. His hard work and dedication means he is poised to play an important role for the Minnesota Twins. There is no doubt that he is a fantastic role model to many young Western Australians, along with others, who I will mention briefly. They have shown what dedication and hard work can achieve, which is really important. Other young Western Australians who have excelled in Perth Heat and who also will be heading to the US in the coming weeks to continue their careers, for which I wish them all success, are Brendan Wise, Cameron Lamb, Allan de San Miguel, and the Kennelly brothers Tim and Matt. They will all go back to US professional teams. I am sure they will be on a high after winning this championship. Congratulations again. It is a wonderful achievement, and I hope we see future success and the continued growth of baseball in Western Australia. Well done.
[Applause.] Mr T.K. WALDRON : All the players, coaches and everyone involved have certainly done their club, Western Australia, and their sport in general, proud, and I congratulate them for that. Last Saturday I was in Adelaide listening to the radio on my early morning walk after Adelaide Bite had won the first game of the best-of-three final. The Adelaide boys were happy and chirpy and talking about how they were about to create history, but our boys won the last two games convincingly, so now we can enjoy that success rather than the Croweaters. Well done! Perth Heat has been synonymous with success. They were very successful in the 1980s and 1990s, and more recently in the Claxton Shield. I was fortunate to be present when Perth Heat won the Claxton Shield in some very exciting games. We can take pride that we have tasted success in baseball. Recently Luke Hughes, a member of Perth Heat, made his major league debut for the Minnesota Twins, which is a fantastic effort. With Luke’s success, it is important to remember all the work done by those passionate people in Western Australia who are involved in baseball. They have built a very vibrant and successful pathway, and I congratulate them for that. That pathway, which starts with the Diamond Sports Academy, is now once again complete. Many Western Australians have the opportunity to represent Perth Heat in the Australian Baseball League and thus display their baseball talents in general. Through the Department of Sport and Recreation, the state government provided $80 000 to the Diamond Sports Academy in 2009–10. In my view, the success we are seeing shows that that was a good investment in the sport. Last year, Baseball WA received $70 000 in funding through our organisational sustainability program and another $10 000 specifically for regional development. It is important to note that baseball is played across Western Australia and has a very strong following in some of our regional areas. The government took part in the development of initiatives in the Goldfields, Pilbara and South West, and provided around $40 000 to support the country sport enrichment scheme. Last year I was also very fortunate to attend the baseball awards where I had the opportunity to talk to a lot of the younger players. I could sense the great excitement about the emergence of the new league. They were really looking forward to it. I spoke to the Perth Heat players outside the chamber today. This is a fantastic competition for them. Perth Heat played 40 gruelling games. Hopefully, the team will get the opportunity to travel to Korea in November to take part in the club championship competition, which would be a fantastic opportunity to experience playing in front of huge crowds. Before I finish, I want to highlight some of the outstanding athletes in this team. Luke Hughes is an outstanding member of the team. His hard work and dedication means he is poised to play an important role for the Minnesota Twins. There is no doubt that he is a fantastic role model to many young Western Australians, along with others, who I will mention briefly. They have shown what dedication and hard work can achieve, which is really important. Other young Western Australians who have excelled in Perth Heat and who also will be heading to the US in the coming weeks to continue their careers, for which I wish them all success, are Brendan Wise, Cameron Lamb, Allan de San Miguel, and the Kennelly brothers Tim and Matt. They will all go back to US professional teams. I am sure they will be on a high after winning this championship. Congratulations again. It is a wonderful achievement, and I hope we see future success and the continued growth of baseball in Western Australia. Well done.
Mr T.K. WALDRON : All the players, coaches and everyone involved have certainly done their club, Western Australia, and their sport in general, proud, and I congratulate them for that. Last Saturday I was in Adelaide listening to the radio on my early morning walk after Adelaide Bite had won the first game of the best-of-three final. The Adelaide boys were happy and chirpy and talking about how they were about to create history, but our boys won the last two games convincingly, so now we can enjoy that success rather than the Croweaters. Well done! Perth Heat has been synonymous with success. They were very successful in the 1980s and 1990s, and more recently in the Claxton Shield. I was fortunate to be present when Perth Heat won the Claxton Shield in some very exciting games. We can take pride that we have tasted success in baseball. Recently Luke Hughes, a member of Perth Heat, made his major league debut for the Minnesota Twins, which is a fantastic effort. With Luke’s success, it is important to remember all the work done by those passionate people in Western Australia who are involved in baseball. They have built a very vibrant and successful pathway, and I congratulate them for that. That pathway, which starts with the Diamond Sports Academy, is now once again complete. Many Western Australians have the opportunity to represent Perth Heat in the Australian Baseball League and thus display their baseball talents in general. Through the Department of Sport and Recreation, the state government provided $80 000 to the Diamond Sports Academy in 2009–10. In my view, the success we are seeing shows that that was a good investment in the sport. Last year, Baseball WA received $70 000 in funding through our organisational sustainability program and another $10 000 specifically for regional development. It is important to note that baseball is played across Western Australia and has a very strong following in some of our regional areas. The government took part in the development of initiatives in the Goldfields, Pilbara and South West, and provided around $40 000 to support the country sport enrichment scheme. Last year I was also very fortunate to attend the baseball awards where I had the opportunity to talk to a lot of the younger players. I could sense the great excitement about the emergence of the new league. They were really looking forward to it. I spoke to the Perth Heat players outside the chamber today. This is a fantastic competition for them. Perth Heat played 40 gruelling games. Hopefully, the team will get the opportunity to travel to Korea in November to take part in the club championship competition, which would be a fantastic opportunity to experience playing in front of huge crowds. Before I finish, I want to highlight some of the outstanding athletes in this team. Luke Hughes is an outstanding member of the team. His hard work and dedication means he is poised to play an important role for the Minnesota Twins. There is no doubt that he is a fantastic role model to many young Western Australians, along with others, who I will mention briefly. They have shown what dedication and hard work can achieve, which is really important. Other young Western Australians who have excelled in Perth Heat and who also will be heading to the US in the coming weeks to continue their careers, for which I wish them all success, are Brendan Wise, Cameron Lamb, Allan de San Miguel, and the Kennelly brothers Tim and Matt. They will all go back to US professional teams. I am sure they will be on a high after winning this championship. Congratulations again. It is a wonderful achievement, and I hope we see future success and the continued growth of baseball in Western Australia. Well done.
Last year I was also very fortunate to attend the baseball awards where I had the opportunity to talk to a lot of the younger players. I could sense the great excitement about the emergence of the new league. They were really looking forward to it. I spoke to the Perth Heat players outside the chamber today. This is a fantastic competition for them. Perth Heat played 40 gruelling games. Hopefully, the team will get the opportunity to travel to Korea in November to take part in the club championship competition, which would be a fantastic opportunity to experience playing in front of huge crowds. Before I finish, I want to highlight some of the outstanding athletes in this team. Luke Hughes is an outstanding member of the team. His hard work and dedication means he is poised to play an important role for the Minnesota Twins. There is no doubt that he is a fantastic role model to many young Western Australians, along with others, who I will mention briefly. They have shown what dedication and hard work can achieve, which is really important. Other young Western Australians who have excelled in Perth Heat and who also will be heading to the US in the coming weeks to continue their careers, for which I wish them all success, are Brendan Wise, Cameron Lamb, Allan de San Miguel, and the Kennelly brothers Tim and Matt. They will all go back to US professional teams. I am sure they will be on a high after winning this championship. Congratulations again. It is a wonderful achievement, and I hope we see future success and the continued growth of baseball in Western Australia. Well done.
Before I finish, I want to highlight some of the outstanding athletes in this team. Luke Hughes is an outstanding member of the team. His hard work and dedication means he is poised to play an important role for the Minnesota Twins. There is no doubt that he is a fantastic role model to many young Western Australians, along with others, who I will mention briefly. They have shown what dedication and hard work can achieve, which is really important. Other young Western Australians who have excelled in Perth Heat and who also will be heading to the US in the coming weeks to continue their careers, for which I wish them all success, are Brendan Wise, Cameron Lamb, Allan de San Miguel, and the Kennelly brothers Tim and Matt. They will all go back to US professional teams. I am sure they will be on a high after winning this championship. Congratulations again. It is a wonderful achievement, and I hope we see future success and the continued growth of baseball in Western Australia. Well done.
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