❓ Question regarding sporting opportunities for youth in Halls Creek, answered by the Premier outlining government initiatives and funding for sport and recreation in the region, particularly for Indigenous communities.
AnsweredQoN 90Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
HALLS CREEK - ORGANISED SPORTING OPPORTUNITIES
Given that the average age of people in the Shire of Halls Creek is just 24 years, making it the youngest average age of any shire in Australia, and given also the shire’s current skyrocketing birth rate - (1) What has this government done in the past five years to increase opportunities for young boys and girls at Halls Creek to participate in organised sport? (2) Has the Minister for Indigenous Affairs put to the Premier any plan to utilise the town’s soon-to-be-opened swimming pool complex for organised sport? (3) Will the Premier appoint a Department of Sport and Recreation sports development officer to the town as a matter of priority? Mr A.J. CARPENTER
Given that the average age of people in the Shire of Halls Creek is just 24 years, making it the youngest average age of any shire in Australia, and given also the shire’s current skyrocketing birth rate - (1) What has this government done in the past five years to increase opportunities for young boys and girls at Halls Creek to participate in organised sport? (2) Has the Minister for Indigenous Affairs put to the Premier any plan to utilise the town’s soon-to-be-opened swimming pool complex for organised sport? (3) Will the Premier appoint a Department of Sport and Recreation sports development officer to the town as a matter of priority? Mr A.J. CARPENTER
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Merredin for the question, and for his interest in this issue. I mean it. The member should be commended, as I commended Steve Pennells from The West Australian for getting out there and finding out that these things are occurring. Good on them. More of that should be done, because these issues are very difficult and have been confronting government for a long time, so it is good that people other than a sprinkling of members on the member’s side - the rest are on this side - are taking an interest in this matter. Therefore, I congratulate the member for Merredin and thank him for the question. (1)-(3) The Department of Sport and Recreation has a memorandum of understanding with Garnduwa, the Aboriginal sporting organisation in the Kimberley, to conduct the indigenous sport program, which delivers sport and recreation programs in the Djuraballan region. Two Garnduwa officers are accommodated in the Department of Sport and Recreation Kununurra office and travel to the region regularly, servicing both the town of Halls Creek and the surrounding communities, including Balgo and Mulan. In addition, the Shire of Halls Creek has received financial support through the community sporting and recreation facilities fund, with $1.4 million towards a recreation centre and $1.5 million towards the construction of the aquatic centre. The swimming pool will be programmed as part of its normal operations. The Department of Sport and Recreation has previously identified that there was a need for additional support for the Halls Creek region, due to the issues of suicide and abuse. A special initiatives grant though Sports Lotteries Account of $160 000 for three years was allocated to Garnduwa to support the employment of a person based in Halls Creek to conduct sport and recreation facilities. The shire would provide housing and office support. A person of outstanding capability has recently been appointed to this position and will take on roles with the town and the community. The member for Merredin might also be interested in a bit of the history of this matter. When I was the Minister for Education and Training; Sport and Recreation; and Indigenous Affairs, there were a lot of opportunities for combined initiatives. One of the things that occurred to me, in trying to get Aboriginal kids to go to school, was to use sport and recreation and so on as a tool, which is why we stepped in and supported Gerard Neesham’s football program. That was followed up by a subsequent minister - Dr K.D. Hames interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : When we took over, the program was on its knees and about to close. We have now put it into schools up and down Western Australia, and it is a raging success. One of the things I also noticed as Minister for Sport and Recreation was that what the previous government had delivered to Aboriginal communities in the way of sport and recreation facilities was nothing - not just a little bit, but nothing! Therefore, I said - the member can ask the director of the Department of Sport and Recreation about this - that there is a community sporting and recreation facilities fund that is overwhelmingly tipped into wheatbelt towns. We need to consider that Aboriginal people are also citizens of Western Australia and, despite the reluctance of local government authorities, we need to force the issue and make them supply - we will help provide - sporting facilities for Aboriginal communities as well, because until now nothing has been done. Therefore, we actually cut $500 000, or it might have been $1 million, from the top of the community sporting and recreation facilities fund to isolate it for the use of Aboriginal communities around Western Australia. For the first time in the history of Western Australia the government was actually taking an interest in providing good sporting facilities in a structured programmatic way to Aboriginal communities. Dr K.D. Hames : I got $3 million from the Lotteries Commission. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I will come to the member in a moment. We then started combining other government agencies to put in place a whole range of facilities, such as swimming pools in Halls Creek, Leonora and Kalumburu. We have a pretty good record. We have discussions about this all the time. It eats away at the soul of the Labor Party, and it gnaws away at our guts and our heart, because we cannot do enough to get Aboriginal communities up on their feet in some circumstances. We get wracked with this issue on this side of the Parliament. Members opposite did nothing. They fought Aboriginal people every inch of the way over native title. They attacked them in the most racist way over that land issue. They should be ashamed of themselves. I am very pleased that the new, young face of the National Party is a person who comes into the Parliament with new ideas for the National Party, not that previous National Party people were at fault. Members of the National Party are interested in this issue, and I say welcome aboard.
(1) What has this government done in the past five years to increase opportunities for young boys and girls at Halls Creek to participate in organised sport? (2) Has the Minister for Indigenous Affairs put to the Premier any plan to utilise the town’s soon-to-be-opened swimming pool complex for organised sport? (3) Will the Premier appoint a Department of Sport and Recreation sports development officer to the town as a matter of priority? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the member for Merredin for the question, and for his interest in this issue. I mean it. The member should be commended, as I commended Steve Pennells from The West Australian for getting out there and finding out that these things are occurring. Good on them. More of that should be done, because these issues are very difficult and have been confronting government for a long time, so it is good that people other than a sprinkling of members on the member’s side - the rest are on this side - are taking an interest in this matter. Therefore, I congratulate the member for Merredin and thank him for the question. (1)-(3) The Department of Sport and Recreation has a memorandum of understanding with Garnduwa, the Aboriginal sporting organisation in the Kimberley, to conduct the indigenous sport program, which delivers sport and recreation programs in the Djuraballan region. Two Garnduwa officers are accommodated in the Department of Sport and Recreation Kununurra office and travel to the region regularly, servicing both the town of Halls Creek and the surrounding communities, including Balgo and Mulan. In addition, the Shire of Halls Creek has received financial support through the community sporting and recreation facilities fund, with $1.4 million towards a recreation centre and $1.5 million towards the construction of the aquatic centre. The swimming pool will be programmed as part of its normal operations. The Department of Sport and Recreation has previously identified that there was a need for additional support for the Halls Creek region, due to the issues of suicide and abuse. A special initiatives grant though Sports Lotteries Account of $160 000 for three years was allocated to Garnduwa to support the employment of a person based in Halls Creek to conduct sport and recreation facilities. The shire would provide housing and office support. A person of outstanding capability has recently been appointed to this position and will take on roles with the town and the community. The member for Merredin might also be interested in a bit of the history of this matter. When I was the Minister for Education and Training; Sport and Recreation; and Indigenous Affairs, there were a lot of opportunities for combined initiatives. One of the things that occurred to me, in trying to get Aboriginal kids to go to school, was to use sport and recreation and so on as a tool, which is why we stepped in and supported Gerard Neesham’s football program. That was followed up by a subsequent minister - Dr K.D. Hames interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : When we took over, the program was on its knees and about to close. We have now put it into schools up and down Western Australia, and it is a raging success. One of the things I also noticed as Minister for Sport and Recreation was that what the previous government had delivered to Aboriginal communities in the way of sport and recreation facilities was nothing - not just a little bit, but nothing! Therefore, I said - the member can ask the director of the Department of Sport and Recreation about this - that there is a community sporting and recreation facilities fund that is overwhelmingly tipped into wheatbelt towns. We need to consider that Aboriginal people are also citizens of Western Australia and, despite the reluctance of local government authorities, we need to force the issue and make them supply - we will help provide - sporting facilities for Aboriginal communities as well, because until now nothing has been done. Therefore, we actually cut $500 000, or it might have been $1 million, from the top of the community sporting and recreation facilities fund to isolate it for the use of Aboriginal communities around Western Australia. For the first time in the history of Western Australia the government was actually taking an interest in providing good sporting facilities in a structured programmatic way to Aboriginal communities. Dr K.D. Hames : I got $3 million from the Lotteries Commission. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I will come to the member in a moment. We then started combining other government agencies to put in place a whole range of facilities, such as swimming pools in Halls Creek, Leonora and Kalumburu. We have a pretty good record. We have discussions about this all the time. It eats away at the soul of the Labor Party, and it gnaws away at our guts and our heart, because we cannot do enough to get Aboriginal communities up on their feet in some circumstances. We get wracked with this issue on this side of the Parliament. Members opposite did nothing. They fought Aboriginal people every inch of the way over native title. They attacked them in the most racist way over that land issue. They should be ashamed of themselves. I am very pleased that the new, young face of the National Party is a person who comes into the Parliament with new ideas for the National Party, not that previous National Party people were at fault. Members of the National Party are interested in this issue, and I say welcome aboard.
(2) Has the Minister for Indigenous Affairs put to the Premier any plan to utilise the town’s soon-to-be-opened swimming pool complex for organised sport? (3) Will the Premier appoint a Department of Sport and Recreation sports development officer to the town as a matter of priority? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the member for Merredin for the question, and for his interest in this issue. I mean it. The member should be commended, as I commended Steve Pennells from The West Australian for getting out there and finding out that these things are occurring. Good on them. More of that should be done, because these issues are very difficult and have been confronting government for a long time, so it is good that people other than a sprinkling of members on the member’s side - the rest are on this side - are taking an interest in this matter. Therefore, I congratulate the member for Merredin and thank him for the question. (1)-(3) The Department of Sport and Recreation has a memorandum of understanding with Garnduwa, the Aboriginal sporting organisation in the Kimberley, to conduct the indigenous sport program, which delivers sport and recreation programs in the Djuraballan region. Two Garnduwa officers are accommodated in the Department of Sport and Recreation Kununurra office and travel to the region regularly, servicing both the town of Halls Creek and the surrounding communities, including Balgo and Mulan. In addition, the Shire of Halls Creek has received financial support through the community sporting and recreation facilities fund, with $1.4 million towards a recreation centre and $1.5 million towards the construction of the aquatic centre. The swimming pool will be programmed as part of its normal operations. The Department of Sport and Recreation has previously identified that there was a need for additional support for the Halls Creek region, due to the issues of suicide and abuse. A special initiatives grant though Sports Lotteries Account of $160 000 for three years was allocated to Garnduwa to support the employment of a person based in Halls Creek to conduct sport and recreation facilities. The shire would provide housing and office support. A person of outstanding capability has recently been appointed to this position and will take on roles with the town and the community. The member for Merredin might also be interested in a bit of the history of this matter. When I was the Minister for Education and Training; Sport and Recreation; and Indigenous Affairs, there were a lot of opportunities for combined initiatives. One of the things that occurred to me, in trying to get Aboriginal kids to go to school, was to use sport and recreation and so on as a tool, which is why we stepped in and supported Gerard Neesham’s football program. That was followed up by a subsequent minister - Dr K.D. Hames interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : When we took over, the program was on its knees and about to close. We have now put it into schools up and down Western Australia, and it is a raging success. One of the things I also noticed as Minister for Sport and Recreation was that what the previous government had delivered to Aboriginal communities in the way of sport and recreation facilities was nothing - not just a little bit, but nothing! Therefore, I said - the member can ask the director of the Department of Sport and Recreation about this - that there is a community sporting and recreation facilities fund that is overwhelmingly tipped into wheatbelt towns. We need to consider that Aboriginal people are also citizens of Western Australia and, despite the reluctance of local government authorities, we need to force the issue and make them supply - we will help provide - sporting facilities for Aboriginal communities as well, because until now nothing has been done. Therefore, we actually cut $500 000, or it might have been $1 million, from the top of the community sporting and recreation facilities fund to isolate it for the use of Aboriginal communities around Western Australia. For the first time in the history of Western Australia the government was actually taking an interest in providing good sporting facilities in a structured programmatic way to Aboriginal communities. Dr K.D. Hames : I got $3 million from the Lotteries Commission. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I will come to the member in a moment. We then started combining other government agencies to put in place a whole range of facilities, such as swimming pools in Halls Creek, Leonora and Kalumburu. We have a pretty good record. We have discussions about this all the time. It eats away at the soul of the Labor Party, and it gnaws away at our guts and our heart, because we cannot do enough to get Aboriginal communities up on their feet in some circumstances. We get wracked with this issue on this side of the Parliament. Members opposite did nothing. They fought Aboriginal people every inch of the way over native title. They attacked them in the most racist way over that land issue. They should be ashamed of themselves. I am very pleased that the new, young face of the National Party is a person who comes into the Parliament with new ideas for the National Party, not that previous National Party people were at fault. Members of the National Party are interested in this issue, and I say welcome aboard.
(3) Will the Premier appoint a Department of Sport and Recreation sports development officer to the town as a matter of priority? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the member for Merredin for the question, and for his interest in this issue. I mean it. The member should be commended, as I commended Steve Pennells from The West Australian for getting out there and finding out that these things are occurring. Good on them. More of that should be done, because these issues are very difficult and have been confronting government for a long time, so it is good that people other than a sprinkling of members on the member’s side - the rest are on this side - are taking an interest in this matter. Therefore, I congratulate the member for Merredin and thank him for the question. (1)-(3) The Department of Sport and Recreation has a memorandum of understanding with Garnduwa, the Aboriginal sporting organisation in the Kimberley, to conduct the indigenous sport program, which delivers sport and recreation programs in the Djuraballan region. Two Garnduwa officers are accommodated in the Department of Sport and Recreation Kununurra office and travel to the region regularly, servicing both the town of Halls Creek and the surrounding communities, including Balgo and Mulan. In addition, the Shire of Halls Creek has received financial support through the community sporting and recreation facilities fund, with $1.4 million towards a recreation centre and $1.5 million towards the construction of the aquatic centre. The swimming pool will be programmed as part of its normal operations. The Department of Sport and Recreation has previously identified that there was a need for additional support for the Halls Creek region, due to the issues of suicide and abuse. A special initiatives grant though Sports Lotteries Account of $160 000 for three years was allocated to Garnduwa to support the employment of a person based in Halls Creek to conduct sport and recreation facilities. The shire would provide housing and office support. A person of outstanding capability has recently been appointed to this position and will take on roles with the town and the community. The member for Merredin might also be interested in a bit of the history of this matter. When I was the Minister for Education and Training; Sport and Recreation; and Indigenous Affairs, there were a lot of opportunities for combined initiatives. One of the things that occurred to me, in trying to get Aboriginal kids to go to school, was to use sport and recreation and so on as a tool, which is why we stepped in and supported Gerard Neesham’s football program. That was followed up by a subsequent minister - Dr K.D. Hames interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : When we took over, the program was on its knees and about to close. We have now put it into schools up and down Western Australia, and it is a raging success. One of the things I also noticed as Minister for Sport and Recreation was that what the previous government had delivered to Aboriginal communities in the way of sport and recreation facilities was nothing - not just a little bit, but nothing! Therefore, I said - the member can ask the director of the Department of Sport and Recreation about this - that there is a community sporting and recreation facilities fund that is overwhelmingly tipped into wheatbelt towns. We need to consider that Aboriginal people are also citizens of Western Australia and, despite the reluctance of local government authorities, we need to force the issue and make them supply - we will help provide - sporting facilities for Aboriginal communities as well, because until now nothing has been done. Therefore, we actually cut $500 000, or it might have been $1 million, from the top of the community sporting and recreation facilities fund to isolate it for the use of Aboriginal communities around Western Australia. For the first time in the history of Western Australia the government was actually taking an interest in providing good sporting facilities in a structured programmatic way to Aboriginal communities. Dr K.D. Hames : I got $3 million from the Lotteries Commission. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I will come to the member in a moment. We then started combining other government agencies to put in place a whole range of facilities, such as swimming pools in Halls Creek, Leonora and Kalumburu. We have a pretty good record. We have discussions about this all the time. It eats away at the soul of the Labor Party, and it gnaws away at our guts and our heart, because we cannot do enough to get Aboriginal communities up on their feet in some circumstances. We get wracked with this issue on this side of the Parliament. Members opposite did nothing. They fought Aboriginal people every inch of the way over native title. They attacked them in the most racist way over that land issue. They should be ashamed of themselves. I am very pleased that the new, young face of the National Party is a person who comes into the Parliament with new ideas for the National Party, not that previous National Party people were at fault. Members of the National Party are interested in this issue, and I say welcome aboard.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the member for Merredin for the question, and for his interest in this issue. I mean it. The member should be commended, as I commended Steve Pennells from The West Australian for getting out there and finding out that these things are occurring. Good on them. More of that should be done, because these issues are very difficult and have been confronting government for a long time, so it is good that people other than a sprinkling of members on the member’s side - the rest are on this side - are taking an interest in this matter. Therefore, I congratulate the member for Merredin and thank him for the question. (1)-(3) The Department of Sport and Recreation has a memorandum of understanding with Garnduwa, the Aboriginal sporting organisation in the Kimberley, to conduct the indigenous sport program, which delivers sport and recreation programs in the Djuraballan region. Two Garnduwa officers are accommodated in the Department of Sport and Recreation Kununurra office and travel to the region regularly, servicing both the town of Halls Creek and the surrounding communities, including Balgo and Mulan. In addition, the Shire of Halls Creek has received financial support through the community sporting and recreation facilities fund, with $1.4 million towards a recreation centre and $1.5 million towards the construction of the aquatic centre. The swimming pool will be programmed as part of its normal operations. The Department of Sport and Recreation has previously identified that there was a need for additional support for the Halls Creek region, due to the issues of suicide and abuse. A special initiatives grant though Sports Lotteries Account of $160 000 for three years was allocated to Garnduwa to support the employment of a person based in Halls Creek to conduct sport and recreation facilities. The shire would provide housing and office support. A person of outstanding capability has recently been appointed to this position and will take on roles with the town and the community. The member for Merredin might also be interested in a bit of the history of this matter. When I was the Minister for Education and Training; Sport and Recreation; and Indigenous Affairs, there were a lot of opportunities for combined initiatives. One of the things that occurred to me, in trying to get Aboriginal kids to go to school, was to use sport and recreation and so on as a tool, which is why we stepped in and supported Gerard Neesham’s football program. That was followed up by a subsequent minister - Dr K.D. Hames interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : When we took over, the program was on its knees and about to close. We have now put it into schools up and down Western Australia, and it is a raging success. One of the things I also noticed as Minister for Sport and Recreation was that what the previous government had delivered to Aboriginal communities in the way of sport and recreation facilities was nothing - not just a little bit, but nothing! Therefore, I said - the member can ask the director of the Department of Sport and Recreation about this - that there is a community sporting and recreation facilities fund that is overwhelmingly tipped into wheatbelt towns. We need to consider that Aboriginal people are also citizens of Western Australia and, despite the reluctance of local government authorities, we need to force the issue and make them supply - we will help provide - sporting facilities for Aboriginal communities as well, because until now nothing has been done. Therefore, we actually cut $500 000, or it might have been $1 million, from the top of the community sporting and recreation facilities fund to isolate it for the use of Aboriginal communities around Western Australia. For the first time in the history of Western Australia the government was actually taking an interest in providing good sporting facilities in a structured programmatic way to Aboriginal communities. Dr K.D. Hames : I got $3 million from the Lotteries Commission. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I will come to the member in a moment. We then started combining other government agencies to put in place a whole range of facilities, such as swimming pools in Halls Creek, Leonora and Kalumburu. We have a pretty good record. We have discussions about this all the time. It eats away at the soul of the Labor Party, and it gnaws away at our guts and our heart, because we cannot do enough to get Aboriginal communities up on their feet in some circumstances. We get wracked with this issue on this side of the Parliament. Members opposite did nothing. They fought Aboriginal people every inch of the way over native title. They attacked them in the most racist way over that land issue. They should be ashamed of themselves. I am very pleased that the new, young face of the National Party is a person who comes into the Parliament with new ideas for the National Party, not that previous National Party people were at fault. Members of the National Party are interested in this issue, and I say welcome aboard.
I thank the member for Merredin for the question, and for his interest in this issue. I mean it. The member should be commended, as I commended Steve Pennells from The West Australian for getting out there and finding out that these things are occurring. Good on them. More of that should be done, because these issues are very difficult and have been confronting government for a long time, so it is good that people other than a sprinkling of members on the member’s side - the rest are on this side - are taking an interest in this matter. Therefore, I congratulate the member for Merredin and thank him for the question. (1)-(3) The Department of Sport and Recreation has a memorandum of understanding with Garnduwa, the Aboriginal sporting organisation in the Kimberley, to conduct the indigenous sport program, which delivers sport and recreation programs in the Djuraballan region. Two Garnduwa officers are accommodated in the Department of Sport and Recreation Kununurra office and travel to the region regularly, servicing both the town of Halls Creek and the surrounding communities, including Balgo and Mulan. In addition, the Shire of Halls Creek has received financial support through the community sporting and recreation facilities fund, with $1.4 million towards a recreation centre and $1.5 million towards the construction of the aquatic centre. The swimming pool will be programmed as part of its normal operations. The Department of Sport and Recreation has previously identified that there was a need for additional support for the Halls Creek region, due to the issues of suicide and abuse. A special initiatives grant though Sports Lotteries Account of $160 000 for three years was allocated to Garnduwa to support the employment of a person based in Halls Creek to conduct sport and recreation facilities. The shire would provide housing and office support. A person of outstanding capability has recently been appointed to this position and will take on roles with the town and the community. The member for Merredin might also be interested in a bit of the history of this matter. When I was the Minister for Education and Training; Sport and Recreation; and Indigenous Affairs, there were a lot of opportunities for combined initiatives. One of the things that occurred to me, in trying to get Aboriginal kids to go to school, was to use sport and recreation and so on as a tool, which is why we stepped in and supported Gerard Neesham’s football program. That was followed up by a subsequent minister - Dr K.D. Hames interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : When we took over, the program was on its knees and about to close. We have now put it into schools up and down Western Australia, and it is a raging success. One of the things I also noticed as Minister for Sport and Recreation was that what the previous government had delivered to Aboriginal communities in the way of sport and recreation facilities was nothing - not just a little bit, but nothing! Therefore, I said - the member can ask the director of the Department of Sport and Recreation about this - that there is a community sporting and recreation facilities fund that is overwhelmingly tipped into wheatbelt towns. We need to consider that Aboriginal people are also citizens of Western Australia and, despite the reluctance of local government authorities, we need to force the issue and make them supply - we will help provide - sporting facilities for Aboriginal communities as well, because until now nothing has been done. Therefore, we actually cut $500 000, or it might have been $1 million, from the top of the community sporting and recreation facilities fund to isolate it for the use of Aboriginal communities around Western Australia. For the first time in the history of Western Australia the government was actually taking an interest in providing good sporting facilities in a structured programmatic way to Aboriginal communities. Dr K.D. Hames : I got $3 million from the Lotteries Commission. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I will come to the member in a moment. We then started combining other government agencies to put in place a whole range of facilities, such as swimming pools in Halls Creek, Leonora and Kalumburu. We have a pretty good record. We have discussions about this all the time. It eats away at the soul of the Labor Party, and it gnaws away at our guts and our heart, because we cannot do enough to get Aboriginal communities up on their feet in some circumstances. We get wracked with this issue on this side of the Parliament. Members opposite did nothing. They fought Aboriginal people every inch of the way over native title. They attacked them in the most racist way over that land issue. They should be ashamed of themselves. I am very pleased that the new, young face of the National Party is a person who comes into the Parliament with new ideas for the National Party, not that previous National Party people were at fault. Members of the National Party are interested in this issue, and I say welcome aboard.
(1)-(3) The Department of Sport and Recreation has a memorandum of understanding with Garnduwa, the Aboriginal sporting organisation in the Kimberley, to conduct the indigenous sport program, which delivers sport and recreation programs in the Djuraballan region. Two Garnduwa officers are accommodated in the Department of Sport and Recreation Kununurra office and travel to the region regularly, servicing both the town of Halls Creek and the surrounding communities, including Balgo and Mulan. In addition, the Shire of Halls Creek has received financial support through the community sporting and recreation facilities fund, with $1.4 million towards a recreation centre and $1.5 million towards the construction of the aquatic centre. The swimming pool will be programmed as part of its normal operations. The Department of Sport and Recreation has previously identified that there was a need for additional support for the Halls Creek region, due to the issues of suicide and abuse. A special initiatives grant though Sports Lotteries Account of $160 000 for three years was allocated to Garnduwa to support the employment of a person based in Halls Creek to conduct sport and recreation facilities. The shire would provide housing and office support. A person of outstanding capability has recently been appointed to this position and will take on roles with the town and the community. The member for Merredin might also be interested in a bit of the history of this matter. When I was the Minister for Education and Training; Sport and Recreation; and Indigenous Affairs, there were a lot of opportunities for combined initiatives. One of the things that occurred to me, in trying to get Aboriginal kids to go to school, was to use sport and recreation and so on as a tool, which is why we stepped in and supported Gerard Neesham’s football program. That was followed up by a subsequent minister - Dr K.D. Hames interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : When we took over, the program was on its knees and about to close. We have now put it into schools up and down Western Australia, and it is a raging success. One of the things I also noticed as Minister for Sport and Recreation was that what the previous government had delivered to Aboriginal communities in the way of sport and recreation facilities was nothing - not just a little bit, but nothing! Therefore, I said - the member can ask the director of the Department of Sport and Recreation about this - that there is a community sporting and recreation facilities fund that is overwhelmingly tipped into wheatbelt towns. We need to consider that Aboriginal people are also citizens of Western Australia and, despite the reluctance of local government authorities, we need to force the issue and make them supply - we will help provide - sporting facilities for Aboriginal communities as well, because until now nothing has been done. Therefore, we actually cut $500 000, or it might have been $1 million, from the top of the community sporting and recreation facilities fund to isolate it for the use of Aboriginal communities around Western Australia. For the first time in the history of Western Australia the government was actually taking an interest in providing good sporting facilities in a structured programmatic way to Aboriginal communities. Dr K.D. Hames : I got $3 million from the Lotteries Commission. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I will come to the member in a moment. We then started combining other government agencies to put in place a whole range of facilities, such as swimming pools in Halls Creek, Leonora and Kalumburu. We have a pretty good record. We have discussions about this all the time. It eats away at the soul of the Labor Party, and it gnaws away at our guts and our heart, because we cannot do enough to get Aboriginal communities up on their feet in some circumstances. We get wracked with this issue on this side of the Parliament. Members opposite did nothing. They fought Aboriginal people every inch of the way over native title. They attacked them in the most racist way over that land issue. They should be ashamed of themselves. I am very pleased that the new, young face of the National Party is a person who comes into the Parliament with new ideas for the National Party, not that previous National Party people were at fault. Members of the National Party are interested in this issue, and I say welcome aboard.
The member for Merredin might also be interested in a bit of the history of this matter. When I was the Minister for Education and Training; Sport and Recreation; and Indigenous Affairs, there were a lot of opportunities for combined initiatives. One of the things that occurred to me, in trying to get Aboriginal kids to go to school, was to use sport and recreation and so on as a tool, which is why we stepped in and supported Gerard Neesham’s football program. That was followed up by a subsequent minister - Dr K.D. Hames interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : When we took over, the program was on its knees and about to close. We have now put it into schools up and down Western Australia, and it is a raging success. One of the things I also noticed as Minister for Sport and Recreation was that what the previous government had delivered to Aboriginal communities in the way of sport and recreation facilities was nothing - not just a little bit, but nothing! Therefore, I said - the member can ask the director of the Department of Sport and Recreation about this - that there is a community sporting and recreation facilities fund that is overwhelmingly tipped into wheatbelt towns. We need to consider that Aboriginal people are also citizens of Western Australia and, despite the reluctance of local government authorities, we need to force the issue and make them supply - we will help provide - sporting facilities for Aboriginal communities as well, because until now nothing has been done. Therefore, we actually cut $500 000, or it might have been $1 million, from the top of the community sporting and recreation facilities fund to isolate it for the use of Aboriginal communities around Western Australia. For the first time in the history of Western Australia the government was actually taking an interest in providing good sporting facilities in a structured programmatic way to Aboriginal communities. Dr K.D. Hames : I got $3 million from the Lotteries Commission. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I will come to the member in a moment. We then started combining other government agencies to put in place a whole range of facilities, such as swimming pools in Halls Creek, Leonora and Kalumburu. We have a pretty good record. We have discussions about this all the time. It eats away at the soul of the Labor Party, and it gnaws away at our guts and our heart, because we cannot do enough to get Aboriginal communities up on their feet in some circumstances. We get wracked with this issue on this side of the Parliament. Members opposite did nothing. They fought Aboriginal people every inch of the way over native title. They attacked them in the most racist way over that land issue. They should be ashamed of themselves. I am very pleased that the new, young face of the National Party is a person who comes into the Parliament with new ideas for the National Party, not that previous National Party people were at fault. Members of the National Party are interested in this issue, and I say welcome aboard.
Dr K.D. Hames interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : When we took over, the program was on its knees and about to close. We have now put it into schools up and down Western Australia, and it is a raging success. One of the things I also noticed as Minister for Sport and Recreation was that what the previous government had delivered to Aboriginal communities in the way of sport and recreation facilities was nothing - not just a little bit, but nothing! Therefore, I said - the member can ask the director of the Department of Sport and Recreation about this - that there is a community sporting and recreation facilities fund that is overwhelmingly tipped into wheatbelt towns. We need to consider that Aboriginal people are also citizens of Western Australia and, despite the reluctance of local government authorities, we need to force the issue and make them supply - we will help provide - sporting facilities for Aboriginal communities as well, because until now nothing has been done. Therefore, we actually cut $500 000, or it might have been $1 million, from the top of the community sporting and recreation facilities fund to isolate it for the use of Aboriginal communities around Western Australia. For the first time in the history of Western Australia the government was actually taking an interest in providing good sporting facilities in a structured programmatic way to Aboriginal communities. Dr K.D. Hames : I got $3 million from the Lotteries Commission. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I will come to the member in a moment. We then started combining other government agencies to put in place a whole range of facilities, such as swimming pools in Halls Creek, Leonora and Kalumburu. We have a pretty good record. We have discussions about this all the time. It eats away at the soul of the Labor Party, and it gnaws away at our guts and our heart, because we cannot do enough to get Aboriginal communities up on their feet in some circumstances. We get wracked with this issue on this side of the Parliament. Members opposite did nothing. They fought Aboriginal people every inch of the way over native title. They attacked them in the most racist way over that land issue. They should be ashamed of themselves. I am very pleased that the new, young face of the National Party is a person who comes into the Parliament with new ideas for the National Party, not that previous National Party people were at fault. Members of the National Party are interested in this issue, and I say welcome aboard.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER : When we took over, the program was on its knees and about to close. We have now put it into schools up and down Western Australia, and it is a raging success. One of the things I also noticed as Minister for Sport and Recreation was that what the previous government had delivered to Aboriginal communities in the way of sport and recreation facilities was nothing - not just a little bit, but nothing! Therefore, I said - the member can ask the director of the Department of Sport and Recreation about this - that there is a community sporting and recreation facilities fund that is overwhelmingly tipped into wheatbelt towns. We need to consider that Aboriginal people are also citizens of Western Australia and, despite the reluctance of local government authorities, we need to force the issue and make them supply - we will help provide - sporting facilities for Aboriginal communities as well, because until now nothing has been done. Therefore, we actually cut $500 000, or it might have been $1 million, from the top of the community sporting and recreation facilities fund to isolate it for the use of Aboriginal communities around Western Australia. For the first time in the history of Western Australia the government was actually taking an interest in providing good sporting facilities in a structured programmatic way to Aboriginal communities. Dr K.D. Hames : I got $3 million from the Lotteries Commission. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I will come to the member in a moment. We then started combining other government agencies to put in place a whole range of facilities, such as swimming pools in Halls Creek, Leonora and Kalumburu. We have a pretty good record. We have discussions about this all the time. It eats away at the soul of the Labor Party, and it gnaws away at our guts and our heart, because we cannot do enough to get Aboriginal communities up on their feet in some circumstances. We get wracked with this issue on this side of the Parliament. Members opposite did nothing. They fought Aboriginal people every inch of the way over native title. They attacked them in the most racist way over that land issue. They should be ashamed of themselves. I am very pleased that the new, young face of the National Party is a person who comes into the Parliament with new ideas for the National Party, not that previous National Party people were at fault. Members of the National Party are interested in this issue, and I say welcome aboard.
Dr K.D. Hames : I got $3 million from the Lotteries Commission. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I will come to the member in a moment. We then started combining other government agencies to put in place a whole range of facilities, such as swimming pools in Halls Creek, Leonora and Kalumburu. We have a pretty good record. We have discussions about this all the time. It eats away at the soul of the Labor Party, and it gnaws away at our guts and our heart, because we cannot do enough to get Aboriginal communities up on their feet in some circumstances. We get wracked with this issue on this side of the Parliament. Members opposite did nothing. They fought Aboriginal people every inch of the way over native title. They attacked them in the most racist way over that land issue. They should be ashamed of themselves. I am very pleased that the new, young face of the National Party is a person who comes into the Parliament with new ideas for the National Party, not that previous National Party people were at fault. Members of the National Party are interested in this issue, and I say welcome aboard.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I will come to the member in a moment. We then started combining other government agencies to put in place a whole range of facilities, such as swimming pools in Halls Creek, Leonora and Kalumburu. We have a pretty good record. We have discussions about this all the time. It eats away at the soul of the Labor Party, and it gnaws away at our guts and our heart, because we cannot do enough to get Aboriginal communities up on their feet in some circumstances. We get wracked with this issue on this side of the Parliament. Members opposite did nothing. They fought Aboriginal people every inch of the way over native title. They attacked them in the most racist way over that land issue. They should be ashamed of themselves. I am very pleased that the new, young face of the National Party is a person who comes into the Parliament with new ideas for the National Party, not that previous National Party people were at fault. Members of the National Party are interested in this issue, and I say welcome aboard.
(1) What has this government done in the past five years to increase opportunities for young boys and girls at Halls Creek to participate in organised sport? (2) Has the Minister for Indigenous Affairs put to the Premier any plan to utilise the town’s soon-to-be-opened swimming pool complex for organised sport? (3) Will the Premier appoint a Department of Sport and Recreation sports development officer to the town as a matter of priority? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the member for Merredin for the question, and for his interest in this issue. I mean it. The member should be commended, as I commended Steve Pennells from The West Australian for getting out there and finding out that these things are occurring. Good on them. More of that should be done, because these issues are very difficult and have been confronting government for a long time, so it is good that people other than a sprinkling of members on the member’s side - the rest are on this side - are taking an interest in this matter. Therefore, I congratulate the member for Merredin and thank him for the question. (1)-(3) The Department of Sport and Recreation has a memorandum of understanding with Garnduwa, the Aboriginal sporting organisation in the Kimberley, to conduct the indigenous sport program, which delivers sport and recreation programs in the Djuraballan region. Two Garnduwa officers are accommodated in the Department of Sport and Recreation Kununurra office and travel to the region regularly, servicing both the town of Halls Creek and the surrounding communities, including Balgo and Mulan. In addition, the Shire of Halls Creek has received financial support through the community sporting and recreation facilities fund, with $1.4 million towards a recreation centre and $1.5 million towards the construction of the aquatic centre. The swimming pool will be programmed as part of its normal operations. The Department of Sport and Recreation has previously identified that there was a need for additional support for the Halls Creek region, due to the issues of suicide and abuse. A special initiatives grant though Sports Lotteries Account of $160 000 for three years was allocated to Garnduwa to support the employment of a person based in Halls Creek to conduct sport and recreation facilities. The shire would provide housing and office support. A person of outstanding capability has recently been appointed to this position and will take on roles with the town and the community. The member for Merredin might also be interested in a bit of the history of this matter. When I was the Minister for Education and Training; Sport and Recreation; and Indigenous Affairs, there were a lot of opportunities for combined initiatives. One of the things that occurred to me, in trying to get Aboriginal kids to go to school, was to use sport and recreation and so on as a tool, which is why we stepped in and supported Gerard Neesham’s football program. That was followed up by a subsequent minister - Dr K.D. Hames interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : When we took over, the program was on its knees and about to close. We have now put it into schools up and down Western Australia, and it is a raging success. One of the things I also noticed as Minister for Sport and Recreation was that what the previous government had delivered to Aboriginal communities in the way of sport and recreation facilities was nothing - not just a little bit, but nothing! Therefore, I said - the member can ask the director of the Department of Sport and Recreation about this - that there is a community sporting and recreation facilities fund that is overwhelmingly tipped into wheatbelt towns. We need to consider that Aboriginal people are also citizens of Western Australia and, despite the reluctance of local government authorities, we need to force the issue and make them supply - we will help provide - sporting facilities for Aboriginal communities as well, because until now nothing has been done. Therefore, we actually cut $500 000, or it might have been $1 million, from the top of the community sporting and recreation facilities fund to isolate it for the use of Aboriginal communities around Western Australia. For the first time in the history of Western Australia the government was actually taking an interest in providing good sporting facilities in a structured programmatic way to Aboriginal communities. Dr K.D. Hames : I got $3 million from the Lotteries Commission. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I will come to the member in a moment. We then started combining other government agencies to put in place a whole range of facilities, such as swimming pools in Halls Creek, Leonora and Kalumburu. We have a pretty good record. We have discussions about this all the time. It eats away at the soul of the Labor Party, and it gnaws away at our guts and our heart, because we cannot do enough to get Aboriginal communities up on their feet in some circumstances. We get wracked with this issue on this side of the Parliament. Members opposite did nothing. They fought Aboriginal people every inch of the way over native title. They attacked them in the most racist way over that land issue. They should be ashamed of themselves. I am very pleased that the new, young face of the National Party is a person who comes into the Parliament with new ideas for the National Party, not that previous National Party people were at fault. Members of the National Party are interested in this issue, and I say welcome aboard.
(2) Has the Minister for Indigenous Affairs put to the Premier any plan to utilise the town’s soon-to-be-opened swimming pool complex for organised sport? (3) Will the Premier appoint a Department of Sport and Recreation sports development officer to the town as a matter of priority? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the member for Merredin for the question, and for his interest in this issue. I mean it. The member should be commended, as I commended Steve Pennells from The West Australian for getting out there and finding out that these things are occurring. Good on them. More of that should be done, because these issues are very difficult and have been confronting government for a long time, so it is good that people other than a sprinkling of members on the member’s side - the rest are on this side - are taking an interest in this matter. Therefore, I congratulate the member for Merredin and thank him for the question. (1)-(3) The Department of Sport and Recreation has a memorandum of understanding with Garnduwa, the Aboriginal sporting organisation in the Kimberley, to conduct the indigenous sport program, which delivers sport and recreation programs in the Djuraballan region. Two Garnduwa officers are accommodated in the Department of Sport and Recreation Kununurra office and travel to the region regularly, servicing both the town of Halls Creek and the surrounding communities, including Balgo and Mulan. In addition, the Shire of Halls Creek has received financial support through the community sporting and recreation facilities fund, with $1.4 million towards a recreation centre and $1.5 million towards the construction of the aquatic centre. The swimming pool will be programmed as part of its normal operations. The Department of Sport and Recreation has previously identified that there was a need for additional support for the Halls Creek region, due to the issues of suicide and abuse. A special initiatives grant though Sports Lotteries Account of $160 000 for three years was allocated to Garnduwa to support the employment of a person based in Halls Creek to conduct sport and recreation facilities. The shire would provide housing and office support. A person of outstanding capability has recently been appointed to this position and will take on roles with the town and the community. The member for Merredin might also be interested in a bit of the history of this matter. When I was the Minister for Education and Training; Sport and Recreation; and Indigenous Affairs, there were a lot of opportunities for combined initiatives. One of the things that occurred to me, in trying to get Aboriginal kids to go to school, was to use sport and recreation and so on as a tool, which is why we stepped in and supported Gerard Neesham’s football program. That was followed up by a subsequent minister - Dr K.D. Hames interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : When we took over, the program was on its knees and about to close. We have now put it into schools up and down Western Australia, and it is a raging success. One of the things I also noticed as Minister for Sport and Recreation was that what the previous government had delivered to Aboriginal communities in the way of sport and recreation facilities was nothing - not just a little bit, but nothing! Therefore, I said - the member can ask the director of the Department of Sport and Recreation about this - that there is a community sporting and recreation facilities fund that is overwhelmingly tipped into wheatbelt towns. We need to consider that Aboriginal people are also citizens of Western Australia and, despite the reluctance of local government authorities, we need to force the issue and make them supply - we will help provide - sporting facilities for Aboriginal communities as well, because until now nothing has been done. Therefore, we actually cut $500 000, or it might have been $1 million, from the top of the community sporting and recreation facilities fund to isolate it for the use of Aboriginal communities around Western Australia. For the first time in the history of Western Australia the government was actually taking an interest in providing good sporting facilities in a structured programmatic way to Aboriginal communities. Dr K.D. Hames : I got $3 million from the Lotteries Commission. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I will come to the member in a moment. We then started combining other government agencies to put in place a whole range of facilities, such as swimming pools in Halls Creek, Leonora and Kalumburu. We have a pretty good record. We have discussions about this all the time. It eats away at the soul of the Labor Party, and it gnaws away at our guts and our heart, because we cannot do enough to get Aboriginal communities up on their feet in some circumstances. We get wracked with this issue on this side of the Parliament. Members opposite did nothing. They fought Aboriginal people every inch of the way over native title. They attacked them in the most racist way over that land issue. They should be ashamed of themselves. I am very pleased that the new, young face of the National Party is a person who comes into the Parliament with new ideas for the National Party, not that previous National Party people were at fault. Members of the National Party are interested in this issue, and I say welcome aboard.
(3) Will the Premier appoint a Department of Sport and Recreation sports development officer to the town as a matter of priority? Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the member for Merredin for the question, and for his interest in this issue. I mean it. The member should be commended, as I commended Steve Pennells from The West Australian for getting out there and finding out that these things are occurring. Good on them. More of that should be done, because these issues are very difficult and have been confronting government for a long time, so it is good that people other than a sprinkling of members on the member’s side - the rest are on this side - are taking an interest in this matter. Therefore, I congratulate the member for Merredin and thank him for the question. (1)-(3) The Department of Sport and Recreation has a memorandum of understanding with Garnduwa, the Aboriginal sporting organisation in the Kimberley, to conduct the indigenous sport program, which delivers sport and recreation programs in the Djuraballan region. Two Garnduwa officers are accommodated in the Department of Sport and Recreation Kununurra office and travel to the region regularly, servicing both the town of Halls Creek and the surrounding communities, including Balgo and Mulan. In addition, the Shire of Halls Creek has received financial support through the community sporting and recreation facilities fund, with $1.4 million towards a recreation centre and $1.5 million towards the construction of the aquatic centre. The swimming pool will be programmed as part of its normal operations. The Department of Sport and Recreation has previously identified that there was a need for additional support for the Halls Creek region, due to the issues of suicide and abuse. A special initiatives grant though Sports Lotteries Account of $160 000 for three years was allocated to Garnduwa to support the employment of a person based in Halls Creek to conduct sport and recreation facilities. The shire would provide housing and office support. A person of outstanding capability has recently been appointed to this position and will take on roles with the town and the community. The member for Merredin might also be interested in a bit of the history of this matter. When I was the Minister for Education and Training; Sport and Recreation; and Indigenous Affairs, there were a lot of opportunities for combined initiatives. One of the things that occurred to me, in trying to get Aboriginal kids to go to school, was to use sport and recreation and so on as a tool, which is why we stepped in and supported Gerard Neesham’s football program. That was followed up by a subsequent minister - Dr K.D. Hames interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : When we took over, the program was on its knees and about to close. We have now put it into schools up and down Western Australia, and it is a raging success. One of the things I also noticed as Minister for Sport and Recreation was that what the previous government had delivered to Aboriginal communities in the way of sport and recreation facilities was nothing - not just a little bit, but nothing! Therefore, I said - the member can ask the director of the Department of Sport and Recreation about this - that there is a community sporting and recreation facilities fund that is overwhelmingly tipped into wheatbelt towns. We need to consider that Aboriginal people are also citizens of Western Australia and, despite the reluctance of local government authorities, we need to force the issue and make them supply - we will help provide - sporting facilities for Aboriginal communities as well, because until now nothing has been done. Therefore, we actually cut $500 000, or it might have been $1 million, from the top of the community sporting and recreation facilities fund to isolate it for the use of Aboriginal communities around Western Australia. For the first time in the history of Western Australia the government was actually taking an interest in providing good sporting facilities in a structured programmatic way to Aboriginal communities. Dr K.D. Hames : I got $3 million from the Lotteries Commission. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I will come to the member in a moment. We then started combining other government agencies to put in place a whole range of facilities, such as swimming pools in Halls Creek, Leonora and Kalumburu. We have a pretty good record. We have discussions about this all the time. It eats away at the soul of the Labor Party, and it gnaws away at our guts and our heart, because we cannot do enough to get Aboriginal communities up on their feet in some circumstances. We get wracked with this issue on this side of the Parliament. Members opposite did nothing. They fought Aboriginal people every inch of the way over native title. They attacked them in the most racist way over that land issue. They should be ashamed of themselves. I am very pleased that the new, young face of the National Party is a person who comes into the Parliament with new ideas for the National Party, not that previous National Party people were at fault. Members of the National Party are interested in this issue, and I say welcome aboard.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER replied: I thank the member for Merredin for the question, and for his interest in this issue. I mean it. The member should be commended, as I commended Steve Pennells from The West Australian for getting out there and finding out that these things are occurring. Good on them. More of that should be done, because these issues are very difficult and have been confronting government for a long time, so it is good that people other than a sprinkling of members on the member’s side - the rest are on this side - are taking an interest in this matter. Therefore, I congratulate the member for Merredin and thank him for the question. (1)-(3) The Department of Sport and Recreation has a memorandum of understanding with Garnduwa, the Aboriginal sporting organisation in the Kimberley, to conduct the indigenous sport program, which delivers sport and recreation programs in the Djuraballan region. Two Garnduwa officers are accommodated in the Department of Sport and Recreation Kununurra office and travel to the region regularly, servicing both the town of Halls Creek and the surrounding communities, including Balgo and Mulan. In addition, the Shire of Halls Creek has received financial support through the community sporting and recreation facilities fund, with $1.4 million towards a recreation centre and $1.5 million towards the construction of the aquatic centre. The swimming pool will be programmed as part of its normal operations. The Department of Sport and Recreation has previously identified that there was a need for additional support for the Halls Creek region, due to the issues of suicide and abuse. A special initiatives grant though Sports Lotteries Account of $160 000 for three years was allocated to Garnduwa to support the employment of a person based in Halls Creek to conduct sport and recreation facilities. The shire would provide housing and office support. A person of outstanding capability has recently been appointed to this position and will take on roles with the town and the community. The member for Merredin might also be interested in a bit of the history of this matter. When I was the Minister for Education and Training; Sport and Recreation; and Indigenous Affairs, there were a lot of opportunities for combined initiatives. One of the things that occurred to me, in trying to get Aboriginal kids to go to school, was to use sport and recreation and so on as a tool, which is why we stepped in and supported Gerard Neesham’s football program. That was followed up by a subsequent minister - Dr K.D. Hames interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : When we took over, the program was on its knees and about to close. We have now put it into schools up and down Western Australia, and it is a raging success. One of the things I also noticed as Minister for Sport and Recreation was that what the previous government had delivered to Aboriginal communities in the way of sport and recreation facilities was nothing - not just a little bit, but nothing! Therefore, I said - the member can ask the director of the Department of Sport and Recreation about this - that there is a community sporting and recreation facilities fund that is overwhelmingly tipped into wheatbelt towns. We need to consider that Aboriginal people are also citizens of Western Australia and, despite the reluctance of local government authorities, we need to force the issue and make them supply - we will help provide - sporting facilities for Aboriginal communities as well, because until now nothing has been done. Therefore, we actually cut $500 000, or it might have been $1 million, from the top of the community sporting and recreation facilities fund to isolate it for the use of Aboriginal communities around Western Australia. For the first time in the history of Western Australia the government was actually taking an interest in providing good sporting facilities in a structured programmatic way to Aboriginal communities. Dr K.D. Hames : I got $3 million from the Lotteries Commission. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I will come to the member in a moment. We then started combining other government agencies to put in place a whole range of facilities, such as swimming pools in Halls Creek, Leonora and Kalumburu. We have a pretty good record. We have discussions about this all the time. It eats away at the soul of the Labor Party, and it gnaws away at our guts and our heart, because we cannot do enough to get Aboriginal communities up on their feet in some circumstances. We get wracked with this issue on this side of the Parliament. Members opposite did nothing. They fought Aboriginal people every inch of the way over native title. They attacked them in the most racist way over that land issue. They should be ashamed of themselves. I am very pleased that the new, young face of the National Party is a person who comes into the Parliament with new ideas for the National Party, not that previous National Party people were at fault. Members of the National Party are interested in this issue, and I say welcome aboard.
I thank the member for Merredin for the question, and for his interest in this issue. I mean it. The member should be commended, as I commended Steve Pennells from The West Australian for getting out there and finding out that these things are occurring. Good on them. More of that should be done, because these issues are very difficult and have been confronting government for a long time, so it is good that people other than a sprinkling of members on the member’s side - the rest are on this side - are taking an interest in this matter. Therefore, I congratulate the member for Merredin and thank him for the question. (1)-(3) The Department of Sport and Recreation has a memorandum of understanding with Garnduwa, the Aboriginal sporting organisation in the Kimberley, to conduct the indigenous sport program, which delivers sport and recreation programs in the Djuraballan region. Two Garnduwa officers are accommodated in the Department of Sport and Recreation Kununurra office and travel to the region regularly, servicing both the town of Halls Creek and the surrounding communities, including Balgo and Mulan. In addition, the Shire of Halls Creek has received financial support through the community sporting and recreation facilities fund, with $1.4 million towards a recreation centre and $1.5 million towards the construction of the aquatic centre. The swimming pool will be programmed as part of its normal operations. The Department of Sport and Recreation has previously identified that there was a need for additional support for the Halls Creek region, due to the issues of suicide and abuse. A special initiatives grant though Sports Lotteries Account of $160 000 for three years was allocated to Garnduwa to support the employment of a person based in Halls Creek to conduct sport and recreation facilities. The shire would provide housing and office support. A person of outstanding capability has recently been appointed to this position and will take on roles with the town and the community. The member for Merredin might also be interested in a bit of the history of this matter. When I was the Minister for Education and Training; Sport and Recreation; and Indigenous Affairs, there were a lot of opportunities for combined initiatives. One of the things that occurred to me, in trying to get Aboriginal kids to go to school, was to use sport and recreation and so on as a tool, which is why we stepped in and supported Gerard Neesham’s football program. That was followed up by a subsequent minister - Dr K.D. Hames interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : When we took over, the program was on its knees and about to close. We have now put it into schools up and down Western Australia, and it is a raging success. One of the things I also noticed as Minister for Sport and Recreation was that what the previous government had delivered to Aboriginal communities in the way of sport and recreation facilities was nothing - not just a little bit, but nothing! Therefore, I said - the member can ask the director of the Department of Sport and Recreation about this - that there is a community sporting and recreation facilities fund that is overwhelmingly tipped into wheatbelt towns. We need to consider that Aboriginal people are also citizens of Western Australia and, despite the reluctance of local government authorities, we need to force the issue and make them supply - we will help provide - sporting facilities for Aboriginal communities as well, because until now nothing has been done. Therefore, we actually cut $500 000, or it might have been $1 million, from the top of the community sporting and recreation facilities fund to isolate it for the use of Aboriginal communities around Western Australia. For the first time in the history of Western Australia the government was actually taking an interest in providing good sporting facilities in a structured programmatic way to Aboriginal communities. Dr K.D. Hames : I got $3 million from the Lotteries Commission. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I will come to the member in a moment. We then started combining other government agencies to put in place a whole range of facilities, such as swimming pools in Halls Creek, Leonora and Kalumburu. We have a pretty good record. We have discussions about this all the time. It eats away at the soul of the Labor Party, and it gnaws away at our guts and our heart, because we cannot do enough to get Aboriginal communities up on their feet in some circumstances. We get wracked with this issue on this side of the Parliament. Members opposite did nothing. They fought Aboriginal people every inch of the way over native title. They attacked them in the most racist way over that land issue. They should be ashamed of themselves. I am very pleased that the new, young face of the National Party is a person who comes into the Parliament with new ideas for the National Party, not that previous National Party people were at fault. Members of the National Party are interested in this issue, and I say welcome aboard.
(1)-(3) The Department of Sport and Recreation has a memorandum of understanding with Garnduwa, the Aboriginal sporting organisation in the Kimberley, to conduct the indigenous sport program, which delivers sport and recreation programs in the Djuraballan region. Two Garnduwa officers are accommodated in the Department of Sport and Recreation Kununurra office and travel to the region regularly, servicing both the town of Halls Creek and the surrounding communities, including Balgo and Mulan. In addition, the Shire of Halls Creek has received financial support through the community sporting and recreation facilities fund, with $1.4 million towards a recreation centre and $1.5 million towards the construction of the aquatic centre. The swimming pool will be programmed as part of its normal operations. The Department of Sport and Recreation has previously identified that there was a need for additional support for the Halls Creek region, due to the issues of suicide and abuse. A special initiatives grant though Sports Lotteries Account of $160 000 for three years was allocated to Garnduwa to support the employment of a person based in Halls Creek to conduct sport and recreation facilities. The shire would provide housing and office support. A person of outstanding capability has recently been appointed to this position and will take on roles with the town and the community. The member for Merredin might also be interested in a bit of the history of this matter. When I was the Minister for Education and Training; Sport and Recreation; and Indigenous Affairs, there were a lot of opportunities for combined initiatives. One of the things that occurred to me, in trying to get Aboriginal kids to go to school, was to use sport and recreation and so on as a tool, which is why we stepped in and supported Gerard Neesham’s football program. That was followed up by a subsequent minister - Dr K.D. Hames interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : When we took over, the program was on its knees and about to close. We have now put it into schools up and down Western Australia, and it is a raging success. One of the things I also noticed as Minister for Sport and Recreation was that what the previous government had delivered to Aboriginal communities in the way of sport and recreation facilities was nothing - not just a little bit, but nothing! Therefore, I said - the member can ask the director of the Department of Sport and Recreation about this - that there is a community sporting and recreation facilities fund that is overwhelmingly tipped into wheatbelt towns. We need to consider that Aboriginal people are also citizens of Western Australia and, despite the reluctance of local government authorities, we need to force the issue and make them supply - we will help provide - sporting facilities for Aboriginal communities as well, because until now nothing has been done. Therefore, we actually cut $500 000, or it might have been $1 million, from the top of the community sporting and recreation facilities fund to isolate it for the use of Aboriginal communities around Western Australia. For the first time in the history of Western Australia the government was actually taking an interest in providing good sporting facilities in a structured programmatic way to Aboriginal communities. Dr K.D. Hames : I got $3 million from the Lotteries Commission. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I will come to the member in a moment. We then started combining other government agencies to put in place a whole range of facilities, such as swimming pools in Halls Creek, Leonora and Kalumburu. We have a pretty good record. We have discussions about this all the time. It eats away at the soul of the Labor Party, and it gnaws away at our guts and our heart, because we cannot do enough to get Aboriginal communities up on their feet in some circumstances. We get wracked with this issue on this side of the Parliament. Members opposite did nothing. They fought Aboriginal people every inch of the way over native title. They attacked them in the most racist way over that land issue. They should be ashamed of themselves. I am very pleased that the new, young face of the National Party is a person who comes into the Parliament with new ideas for the National Party, not that previous National Party people were at fault. Members of the National Party are interested in this issue, and I say welcome aboard.
The member for Merredin might also be interested in a bit of the history of this matter. When I was the Minister for Education and Training; Sport and Recreation; and Indigenous Affairs, there were a lot of opportunities for combined initiatives. One of the things that occurred to me, in trying to get Aboriginal kids to go to school, was to use sport and recreation and so on as a tool, which is why we stepped in and supported Gerard Neesham’s football program. That was followed up by a subsequent minister - Dr K.D. Hames interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : When we took over, the program was on its knees and about to close. We have now put it into schools up and down Western Australia, and it is a raging success. One of the things I also noticed as Minister for Sport and Recreation was that what the previous government had delivered to Aboriginal communities in the way of sport and recreation facilities was nothing - not just a little bit, but nothing! Therefore, I said - the member can ask the director of the Department of Sport and Recreation about this - that there is a community sporting and recreation facilities fund that is overwhelmingly tipped into wheatbelt towns. We need to consider that Aboriginal people are also citizens of Western Australia and, despite the reluctance of local government authorities, we need to force the issue and make them supply - we will help provide - sporting facilities for Aboriginal communities as well, because until now nothing has been done. Therefore, we actually cut $500 000, or it might have been $1 million, from the top of the community sporting and recreation facilities fund to isolate it for the use of Aboriginal communities around Western Australia. For the first time in the history of Western Australia the government was actually taking an interest in providing good sporting facilities in a structured programmatic way to Aboriginal communities. Dr K.D. Hames : I got $3 million from the Lotteries Commission. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I will come to the member in a moment. We then started combining other government agencies to put in place a whole range of facilities, such as swimming pools in Halls Creek, Leonora and Kalumburu. We have a pretty good record. We have discussions about this all the time. It eats away at the soul of the Labor Party, and it gnaws away at our guts and our heart, because we cannot do enough to get Aboriginal communities up on their feet in some circumstances. We get wracked with this issue on this side of the Parliament. Members opposite did nothing. They fought Aboriginal people every inch of the way over native title. They attacked them in the most racist way over that land issue. They should be ashamed of themselves. I am very pleased that the new, young face of the National Party is a person who comes into the Parliament with new ideas for the National Party, not that previous National Party people were at fault. Members of the National Party are interested in this issue, and I say welcome aboard.
Dr K.D. Hames interjected. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : When we took over, the program was on its knees and about to close. We have now put it into schools up and down Western Australia, and it is a raging success. One of the things I also noticed as Minister for Sport and Recreation was that what the previous government had delivered to Aboriginal communities in the way of sport and recreation facilities was nothing - not just a little bit, but nothing! Therefore, I said - the member can ask the director of the Department of Sport and Recreation about this - that there is a community sporting and recreation facilities fund that is overwhelmingly tipped into wheatbelt towns. We need to consider that Aboriginal people are also citizens of Western Australia and, despite the reluctance of local government authorities, we need to force the issue and make them supply - we will help provide - sporting facilities for Aboriginal communities as well, because until now nothing has been done. Therefore, we actually cut $500 000, or it might have been $1 million, from the top of the community sporting and recreation facilities fund to isolate it for the use of Aboriginal communities around Western Australia. For the first time in the history of Western Australia the government was actually taking an interest in providing good sporting facilities in a structured programmatic way to Aboriginal communities. Dr K.D. Hames : I got $3 million from the Lotteries Commission. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I will come to the member in a moment. We then started combining other government agencies to put in place a whole range of facilities, such as swimming pools in Halls Creek, Leonora and Kalumburu. We have a pretty good record. We have discussions about this all the time. It eats away at the soul of the Labor Party, and it gnaws away at our guts and our heart, because we cannot do enough to get Aboriginal communities up on their feet in some circumstances. We get wracked with this issue on this side of the Parliament. Members opposite did nothing. They fought Aboriginal people every inch of the way over native title. They attacked them in the most racist way over that land issue. They should be ashamed of themselves. I am very pleased that the new, young face of the National Party is a person who comes into the Parliament with new ideas for the National Party, not that previous National Party people were at fault. Members of the National Party are interested in this issue, and I say welcome aboard.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER : When we took over, the program was on its knees and about to close. We have now put it into schools up and down Western Australia, and it is a raging success. One of the things I also noticed as Minister for Sport and Recreation was that what the previous government had delivered to Aboriginal communities in the way of sport and recreation facilities was nothing - not just a little bit, but nothing! Therefore, I said - the member can ask the director of the Department of Sport and Recreation about this - that there is a community sporting and recreation facilities fund that is overwhelmingly tipped into wheatbelt towns. We need to consider that Aboriginal people are also citizens of Western Australia and, despite the reluctance of local government authorities, we need to force the issue and make them supply - we will help provide - sporting facilities for Aboriginal communities as well, because until now nothing has been done. Therefore, we actually cut $500 000, or it might have been $1 million, from the top of the community sporting and recreation facilities fund to isolate it for the use of Aboriginal communities around Western Australia. For the first time in the history of Western Australia the government was actually taking an interest in providing good sporting facilities in a structured programmatic way to Aboriginal communities. Dr K.D. Hames : I got $3 million from the Lotteries Commission. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I will come to the member in a moment. We then started combining other government agencies to put in place a whole range of facilities, such as swimming pools in Halls Creek, Leonora and Kalumburu. We have a pretty good record. We have discussions about this all the time. It eats away at the soul of the Labor Party, and it gnaws away at our guts and our heart, because we cannot do enough to get Aboriginal communities up on their feet in some circumstances. We get wracked with this issue on this side of the Parliament. Members opposite did nothing. They fought Aboriginal people every inch of the way over native title. They attacked them in the most racist way over that land issue. They should be ashamed of themselves. I am very pleased that the new, young face of the National Party is a person who comes into the Parliament with new ideas for the National Party, not that previous National Party people were at fault. Members of the National Party are interested in this issue, and I say welcome aboard.
Dr K.D. Hames : I got $3 million from the Lotteries Commission. Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I will come to the member in a moment. We then started combining other government agencies to put in place a whole range of facilities, such as swimming pools in Halls Creek, Leonora and Kalumburu. We have a pretty good record. We have discussions about this all the time. It eats away at the soul of the Labor Party, and it gnaws away at our guts and our heart, because we cannot do enough to get Aboriginal communities up on their feet in some circumstances. We get wracked with this issue on this side of the Parliament. Members opposite did nothing. They fought Aboriginal people every inch of the way over native title. They attacked them in the most racist way over that land issue. They should be ashamed of themselves. I am very pleased that the new, young face of the National Party is a person who comes into the Parliament with new ideas for the National Party, not that previous National Party people were at fault. Members of the National Party are interested in this issue, and I say welcome aboard.
Mr A.J. CARPENTER : I will come to the member in a moment. We then started combining other government agencies to put in place a whole range of facilities, such as swimming pools in Halls Creek, Leonora and Kalumburu. We have a pretty good record. We have discussions about this all the time. It eats away at the soul of the Labor Party, and it gnaws away at our guts and our heart, because we cannot do enough to get Aboriginal communities up on their feet in some circumstances. We get wracked with this issue on this side of the Parliament. Members opposite did nothing. They fought Aboriginal people every inch of the way over native title. They attacked them in the most racist way over that land issue. They should be ashamed of themselves. I am very pleased that the new, young face of the National Party is a person who comes into the Parliament with new ideas for the National Party, not that previous National Party people were at fault. Members of the National Party are interested in this issue, and I say welcome aboard.
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