❓ Ms Mitchell asks about the KidSport program, and Mr Waldron responds, detailing its funding, goals, and positive impact on children's access to sport, with a minor interruption regarding invitation protocols.
AnsweredQoN 782Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
KIDSPORT PROGRAM
There are many children in Western Australia who miss out on participating in sporting activities because of their family’s financial circumstances. As a former physical education teacher, I know the importance that sport plays in the early development of children. Can the minister please update the house on the initiative he launched today that will assist these children and their families to get involved in organised sport? Mr T.K. WALDRON
There are many children in Western Australia who miss out on participating in sporting activities because of their family’s financial circumstances. As a former physical education teacher, I know the importance that sport plays in the early development of children. Can the minister please update the house on the initiative he launched today that will assist these children and their families to get involved in organised sport? Mr T.K. WALDRON
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Kingsley for the question and for her support. As members would know from my 11 years in this place, I have always had a real belief in what sport and recreation delivers, not just on the sporting field through the physical and mental health benefits but also in our communities, from youngsters to old people. In the budget this year I was very proud to announce an allocation of $10 million over four years to help WA kids and families form better connections with their communities. This was part of an overall $20 million program, of which $10 million is related to KidSport, which I launched this morning. The Premier and I were very pleased to officially launch KidSport today at Wirrabirra Primary School in Gosnells. It was a great morning. Mr C.J. Tallentire : You didn’t bother to invite the local member! The SPEAKER : Member for Gosnells, I am formally going to call you to order for the first time today. I suggest to you that there might be other ways to make that particular point. Mr T.K. WALDRON : I apologise if the member for Gosnells was not invited. I apologise; I did not realise that. Mr C.J. Tallentire : Your office did not offer any apology at all! Mr T.K. WALDRON : If not, I am apologising, because I think most members in this place would know that when something like this is happening, I let members know. If that happened, we were wrong and I apologise. This is a great program. Wirrabirra is a great school. I was extremely pleased with the way the school got behind the launch this morning. It is obviously a very well-run school. It is a great school in the member for Gosnells’ area, and it did it well. The local government, the Gosnells city council, is also doing a great job in supporting this. I will give members a little of the background. This program is about giving young children access to sporting clubs, especially those who really cannot afford it. I will not go into all the details, as I have done that in the house before, but over the next four years we will see up to 30 000 children who do not access sporting clubs at present, accessing sporting clubs. This will bring all the benefits that come with that. Children between the ages of five and 18 will be subsidised $200 annually to pay their club fees, for summer and winter sports. It is a partnership with local government, which is responsible for the local administration of it. The Department of Sport and Recreation works closely with local government, the schools and other groups in our communities—social groups that work with people who are undergoing problems. I want to let members know that 13 local governments are already involved and another 21 are expected to sign up before Christmas. We have just got this going, but it is certainly taking off. I have already mentioned the improvement to children’s physical and mental health, but being involved in sport and a sporting club also has great value for their education and performance at school, and for their decision-making skills. I will talk about my own life experience, because I really believe in this, and I will relate a story to the Parliament. When I was coaching a Willetton cricket club a few years ago, two young boys who came to the club were pretty tough young kids, but they messed up a little bit and the club wanted to get rid of them. We fought this, and said no because we wanted to give these kids a chance. What happened is that both these boys went on to play cricket. One boy left after a couple of years, but is a good young kid. Mr M. McGowan interjected. Mr T.K. WALDRON : I know that the member for Rockingham is having a joke, but this is serious. One of the boys went on to be a leader in the club. He captained the club at one stage and he is now married with children; he has a good job and is a fine member of the community. I did not know at the time, but years later this guy came back and said to me that he had a very nasty situation at home, and when I heard it, it was quite shocking. He said that the cricket club gave him a home, a bit of discipline and some support that got him through that. He said that he was sure that he would have ended up in trouble and in jail, but we now have a great member of the community. I gave that as an example, because that is what this program is all about and that is what we are trying to do. The staff in my department have been working hard with local government, parents and groups to get it started, and I thank them for that. I hope that most of our local governments will participate in this. We had great start to the summer season, and with the winter season more will come on board. Local governments have already requested about 3 500 sports vouchers. In conclusion, the promising thing in Gosnells this morning is that 160 children have already enrolled, and 60 of those children have never been involved in a sports club before. That says it all about the program. I am very proud of our government for doing this and of my colleagues for recognising that this is something that we will not see in bricks and mortar but is a breakthrough that will benefit our society. Other initiatives that will support the volunteers who support this program will be announced early in the new year, and I encourage all members to take up the program and to get more information. If members want to know more, I have these KidSport brochures here today. I thank my colleagues for making this program possible. This will be a great program.
Mr T.K. WALDRON replied: I thank the member for Kingsley for the question and for her support. As members would know from my 11 years in this place, I have always had a real belief in what sport and recreation delivers, not just on the sporting field through the physical and mental health benefits but also in our communities, from youngsters to old people. In the budget this year I was very proud to announce an allocation of $10 million over four years to help WA kids and families form better connections with their communities. This was part of an overall $20 million program, of which $10 million is related to KidSport, which I launched this morning. The Premier and I were very pleased to officially launch KidSport today at Wirrabirra Primary School in Gosnells. It was a great morning. Mr C.J. Tallentire : You didn’t bother to invite the local member! The SPEAKER : Member for Gosnells, I am formally going to call you to order for the first time today. I suggest to you that there might be other ways to make that particular point. Mr T.K. WALDRON : I apologise if the member for Gosnells was not invited. I apologise; I did not realise that. Mr C.J. Tallentire : Your office did not offer any apology at all! Mr T.K. WALDRON : If not, I am apologising, because I think most members in this place would know that when something like this is happening, I let members know. If that happened, we were wrong and I apologise. This is a great program. Wirrabirra is a great school. I was extremely pleased with the way the school got behind the launch this morning. It is obviously a very well-run school. It is a great school in the member for Gosnells’ area, and it did it well. The local government, the Gosnells city council, is also doing a great job in supporting this. I will give members a little of the background. This program is about giving young children access to sporting clubs, especially those who really cannot afford it. I will not go into all the details, as I have done that in the house before, but over the next four years we will see up to 30 000 children who do not access sporting clubs at present, accessing sporting clubs. This will bring all the benefits that come with that. Children between the ages of five and 18 will be subsidised $200 annually to pay their club fees, for summer and winter sports. It is a partnership with local government, which is responsible for the local administration of it. The Department of Sport and Recreation works closely with local government, the schools and other groups in our communities—social groups that work with people who are undergoing problems. I want to let members know that 13 local governments are already involved and another 21 are expected to sign up before Christmas. We have just got this going, but it is certainly taking off. I have already mentioned the improvement to children’s physical and mental health, but being involved in sport and a sporting club also has great value for their education and performance at school, and for their decision-making skills. I will talk about my own life experience, because I really believe in this, and I will relate a story to the Parliament. When I was coaching a Willetton cricket club a few years ago, two young boys who came to the club were pretty tough young kids, but they messed up a little bit and the club wanted to get rid of them. We fought this, and said no because we wanted to give these kids a chance. What happened is that both these boys went on to play cricket. One boy left after a couple of years, but is a good young kid. Mr M. McGowan interjected. Mr T.K. WALDRON : I know that the member for Rockingham is having a joke, but this is serious. One of the boys went on to be a leader in the club. He captained the club at one stage and he is now married with children; he has a good job and is a fine member of the community. I did not know at the time, but years later this guy came back and said to me that he had a very nasty situation at home, and when I heard it, it was quite shocking. He said that the cricket club gave him a home, a bit of discipline and some support that got him through that. He said that he was sure that he would have ended up in trouble and in jail, but we now have a great member of the community. I gave that as an example, because that is what this program is all about and that is what we are trying to do. The staff in my department have been working hard with local government, parents and groups to get it started, and I thank them for that. I hope that most of our local governments will participate in this. We had great start to the summer season, and with the winter season more will come on board. Local governments have already requested about 3 500 sports vouchers. In conclusion, the promising thing in Gosnells this morning is that 160 children have already enrolled, and 60 of those children have never been involved in a sports club before. That says it all about the program. I am very proud of our government for doing this and of my colleagues for recognising that this is something that we will not see in bricks and mortar but is a breakthrough that will benefit our society. Other initiatives that will support the volunteers who support this program will be announced early in the new year, and I encourage all members to take up the program and to get more information. If members want to know more, I have these KidSport brochures here today. I thank my colleagues for making this program possible. This will be a great program.
I thank the member for Kingsley for the question and for her support. As members would know from my 11 years in this place, I have always had a real belief in what sport and recreation delivers, not just on the sporting field through the physical and mental health benefits but also in our communities, from youngsters to old people. In the budget this year I was very proud to announce an allocation of $10 million over four years to help WA kids and families form better connections with their communities. This was part of an overall $20 million program, of which $10 million is related to KidSport, which I launched this morning. The Premier and I were very pleased to officially launch KidSport today at Wirrabirra Primary School in Gosnells. It was a great morning. Mr C.J. Tallentire : You didn’t bother to invite the local member! The SPEAKER : Member for Gosnells, I am formally going to call you to order for the first time today. I suggest to you that there might be other ways to make that particular point. Mr T.K. WALDRON : I apologise if the member for Gosnells was not invited. I apologise; I did not realise that. Mr C.J. Tallentire : Your office did not offer any apology at all! Mr T.K. WALDRON : If not, I am apologising, because I think most members in this place would know that when something like this is happening, I let members know. If that happened, we were wrong and I apologise. This is a great program. Wirrabirra is a great school. I was extremely pleased with the way the school got behind the launch this morning. It is obviously a very well-run school. It is a great school in the member for Gosnells’ area, and it did it well. The local government, the Gosnells city council, is also doing a great job in supporting this. I will give members a little of the background. This program is about giving young children access to sporting clubs, especially those who really cannot afford it. I will not go into all the details, as I have done that in the house before, but over the next four years we will see up to 30 000 children who do not access sporting clubs at present, accessing sporting clubs. This will bring all the benefits that come with that. Children between the ages of five and 18 will be subsidised $200 annually to pay their club fees, for summer and winter sports. It is a partnership with local government, which is responsible for the local administration of it. The Department of Sport and Recreation works closely with local government, the schools and other groups in our communities—social groups that work with people who are undergoing problems. I want to let members know that 13 local governments are already involved and another 21 are expected to sign up before Christmas. We have just got this going, but it is certainly taking off. I have already mentioned the improvement to children’s physical and mental health, but being involved in sport and a sporting club also has great value for their education and performance at school, and for their decision-making skills. I will talk about my own life experience, because I really believe in this, and I will relate a story to the Parliament. When I was coaching a Willetton cricket club a few years ago, two young boys who came to the club were pretty tough young kids, but they messed up a little bit and the club wanted to get rid of them. We fought this, and said no because we wanted to give these kids a chance. What happened is that both these boys went on to play cricket. One boy left after a couple of years, but is a good young kid. Mr M. McGowan interjected. Mr T.K. WALDRON : I know that the member for Rockingham is having a joke, but this is serious. One of the boys went on to be a leader in the club. He captained the club at one stage and he is now married with children; he has a good job and is a fine member of the community. I did not know at the time, but years later this guy came back and said to me that he had a very nasty situation at home, and when I heard it, it was quite shocking. He said that the cricket club gave him a home, a bit of discipline and some support that got him through that. He said that he was sure that he would have ended up in trouble and in jail, but we now have a great member of the community. I gave that as an example, because that is what this program is all about and that is what we are trying to do. The staff in my department have been working hard with local government, parents and groups to get it started, and I thank them for that. I hope that most of our local governments will participate in this. We had great start to the summer season, and with the winter season more will come on board. Local governments have already requested about 3 500 sports vouchers. In conclusion, the promising thing in Gosnells this morning is that 160 children have already enrolled, and 60 of those children have never been involved in a sports club before. That says it all about the program. I am very proud of our government for doing this and of my colleagues for recognising that this is something that we will not see in bricks and mortar but is a breakthrough that will benefit our society. Other initiatives that will support the volunteers who support this program will be announced early in the new year, and I encourage all members to take up the program and to get more information. If members want to know more, I have these KidSport brochures here today. I thank my colleagues for making this program possible. This will be a great program.
Mr C.J. Tallentire : You didn’t bother to invite the local member! The SPEAKER : Member for Gosnells, I am formally going to call you to order for the first time today. I suggest to you that there might be other ways to make that particular point. Mr T.K. WALDRON : I apologise if the member for Gosnells was not invited. I apologise; I did not realise that. Mr C.J. Tallentire : Your office did not offer any apology at all! Mr T.K. WALDRON : If not, I am apologising, because I think most members in this place would know that when something like this is happening, I let members know. If that happened, we were wrong and I apologise. This is a great program. Wirrabirra is a great school. I was extremely pleased with the way the school got behind the launch this morning. It is obviously a very well-run school. It is a great school in the member for Gosnells’ area, and it did it well. The local government, the Gosnells city council, is also doing a great job in supporting this. I will give members a little of the background. This program is about giving young children access to sporting clubs, especially those who really cannot afford it. I will not go into all the details, as I have done that in the house before, but over the next four years we will see up to 30 000 children who do not access sporting clubs at present, accessing sporting clubs. This will bring all the benefits that come with that. Children between the ages of five and 18 will be subsidised $200 annually to pay their club fees, for summer and winter sports. It is a partnership with local government, which is responsible for the local administration of it. The Department of Sport and Recreation works closely with local government, the schools and other groups in our communities—social groups that work with people who are undergoing problems. I want to let members know that 13 local governments are already involved and another 21 are expected to sign up before Christmas. We have just got this going, but it is certainly taking off. I have already mentioned the improvement to children’s physical and mental health, but being involved in sport and a sporting club also has great value for their education and performance at school, and for their decision-making skills. I will talk about my own life experience, because I really believe in this, and I will relate a story to the Parliament. When I was coaching a Willetton cricket club a few years ago, two young boys who came to the club were pretty tough young kids, but they messed up a little bit and the club wanted to get rid of them. We fought this, and said no because we wanted to give these kids a chance. What happened is that both these boys went on to play cricket. One boy left after a couple of years, but is a good young kid. Mr M. McGowan interjected. Mr T.K. WALDRON : I know that the member for Rockingham is having a joke, but this is serious. One of the boys went on to be a leader in the club. He captained the club at one stage and he is now married with children; he has a good job and is a fine member of the community. I did not know at the time, but years later this guy came back and said to me that he had a very nasty situation at home, and when I heard it, it was quite shocking. He said that the cricket club gave him a home, a bit of discipline and some support that got him through that. He said that he was sure that he would have ended up in trouble and in jail, but we now have a great member of the community. I gave that as an example, because that is what this program is all about and that is what we are trying to do. The staff in my department have been working hard with local government, parents and groups to get it started, and I thank them for that. I hope that most of our local governments will participate in this. We had great start to the summer season, and with the winter season more will come on board. Local governments have already requested about 3 500 sports vouchers. In conclusion, the promising thing in Gosnells this morning is that 160 children have already enrolled, and 60 of those children have never been involved in a sports club before. That says it all about the program. I am very proud of our government for doing this and of my colleagues for recognising that this is something that we will not see in bricks and mortar but is a breakthrough that will benefit our society. Other initiatives that will support the volunteers who support this program will be announced early in the new year, and I encourage all members to take up the program and to get more information. If members want to know more, I have these KidSport brochures here today. I thank my colleagues for making this program possible. This will be a great program.
The SPEAKER : Member for Gosnells, I am formally going to call you to order for the first time today. I suggest to you that there might be other ways to make that particular point. Mr T.K. WALDRON : I apologise if the member for Gosnells was not invited. I apologise; I did not realise that. Mr C.J. Tallentire : Your office did not offer any apology at all! Mr T.K. WALDRON : If not, I am apologising, because I think most members in this place would know that when something like this is happening, I let members know. If that happened, we were wrong and I apologise. This is a great program. Wirrabirra is a great school. I was extremely pleased with the way the school got behind the launch this morning. It is obviously a very well-run school. It is a great school in the member for Gosnells’ area, and it did it well. The local government, the Gosnells city council, is also doing a great job in supporting this. I will give members a little of the background. This program is about giving young children access to sporting clubs, especially those who really cannot afford it. I will not go into all the details, as I have done that in the house before, but over the next four years we will see up to 30 000 children who do not access sporting clubs at present, accessing sporting clubs. This will bring all the benefits that come with that. Children between the ages of five and 18 will be subsidised $200 annually to pay their club fees, for summer and winter sports. It is a partnership with local government, which is responsible for the local administration of it. The Department of Sport and Recreation works closely with local government, the schools and other groups in our communities—social groups that work with people who are undergoing problems. I want to let members know that 13 local governments are already involved and another 21 are expected to sign up before Christmas. We have just got this going, but it is certainly taking off. I have already mentioned the improvement to children’s physical and mental health, but being involved in sport and a sporting club also has great value for their education and performance at school, and for their decision-making skills. I will talk about my own life experience, because I really believe in this, and I will relate a story to the Parliament. When I was coaching a Willetton cricket club a few years ago, two young boys who came to the club were pretty tough young kids, but they messed up a little bit and the club wanted to get rid of them. We fought this, and said no because we wanted to give these kids a chance. What happened is that both these boys went on to play cricket. One boy left after a couple of years, but is a good young kid. Mr M. McGowan interjected. Mr T.K. WALDRON : I know that the member for Rockingham is having a joke, but this is serious. One of the boys went on to be a leader in the club. He captained the club at one stage and he is now married with children; he has a good job and is a fine member of the community. I did not know at the time, but years later this guy came back and said to me that he had a very nasty situation at home, and when I heard it, it was quite shocking. He said that the cricket club gave him a home, a bit of discipline and some support that got him through that. He said that he was sure that he would have ended up in trouble and in jail, but we now have a great member of the community. I gave that as an example, because that is what this program is all about and that is what we are trying to do. The staff in my department have been working hard with local government, parents and groups to get it started, and I thank them for that. I hope that most of our local governments will participate in this. We had great start to the summer season, and with the winter season more will come on board. Local governments have already requested about 3 500 sports vouchers. In conclusion, the promising thing in Gosnells this morning is that 160 children have already enrolled, and 60 of those children have never been involved in a sports club before. That says it all about the program. I am very proud of our government for doing this and of my colleagues for recognising that this is something that we will not see in bricks and mortar but is a breakthrough that will benefit our society. Other initiatives that will support the volunteers who support this program will be announced early in the new year, and I encourage all members to take up the program and to get more information. If members want to know more, I have these KidSport brochures here today. I thank my colleagues for making this program possible. This will be a great program.
Mr T.K. WALDRON : I apologise if the member for Gosnells was not invited. I apologise; I did not realise that. Mr C.J. Tallentire : Your office did not offer any apology at all! Mr T.K. WALDRON : If not, I am apologising, because I think most members in this place would know that when something like this is happening, I let members know. If that happened, we were wrong and I apologise. This is a great program. Wirrabirra is a great school. I was extremely pleased with the way the school got behind the launch this morning. It is obviously a very well-run school. It is a great school in the member for Gosnells’ area, and it did it well. The local government, the Gosnells city council, is also doing a great job in supporting this. I will give members a little of the background. This program is about giving young children access to sporting clubs, especially those who really cannot afford it. I will not go into all the details, as I have done that in the house before, but over the next four years we will see up to 30 000 children who do not access sporting clubs at present, accessing sporting clubs. This will bring all the benefits that come with that. Children between the ages of five and 18 will be subsidised $200 annually to pay their club fees, for summer and winter sports. It is a partnership with local government, which is responsible for the local administration of it. The Department of Sport and Recreation works closely with local government, the schools and other groups in our communities—social groups that work with people who are undergoing problems. I want to let members know that 13 local governments are already involved and another 21 are expected to sign up before Christmas. We have just got this going, but it is certainly taking off. I have already mentioned the improvement to children’s physical and mental health, but being involved in sport and a sporting club also has great value for their education and performance at school, and for their decision-making skills. I will talk about my own life experience, because I really believe in this, and I will relate a story to the Parliament. When I was coaching a Willetton cricket club a few years ago, two young boys who came to the club were pretty tough young kids, but they messed up a little bit and the club wanted to get rid of them. We fought this, and said no because we wanted to give these kids a chance. What happened is that both these boys went on to play cricket. One boy left after a couple of years, but is a good young kid. Mr M. McGowan interjected. Mr T.K. WALDRON : I know that the member for Rockingham is having a joke, but this is serious. One of the boys went on to be a leader in the club. He captained the club at one stage and he is now married with children; he has a good job and is a fine member of the community. I did not know at the time, but years later this guy came back and said to me that he had a very nasty situation at home, and when I heard it, it was quite shocking. He said that the cricket club gave him a home, a bit of discipline and some support that got him through that. He said that he was sure that he would have ended up in trouble and in jail, but we now have a great member of the community. I gave that as an example, because that is what this program is all about and that is what we are trying to do. The staff in my department have been working hard with local government, parents and groups to get it started, and I thank them for that. I hope that most of our local governments will participate in this. We had great start to the summer season, and with the winter season more will come on board. Local governments have already requested about 3 500 sports vouchers. In conclusion, the promising thing in Gosnells this morning is that 160 children have already enrolled, and 60 of those children have never been involved in a sports club before. That says it all about the program. I am very proud of our government for doing this and of my colleagues for recognising that this is something that we will not see in bricks and mortar but is a breakthrough that will benefit our society. Other initiatives that will support the volunteers who support this program will be announced early in the new year, and I encourage all members to take up the program and to get more information. If members want to know more, I have these KidSport brochures here today. I thank my colleagues for making this program possible. This will be a great program.
Mr C.J. Tallentire : Your office did not offer any apology at all! Mr T.K. WALDRON : If not, I am apologising, because I think most members in this place would know that when something like this is happening, I let members know. If that happened, we were wrong and I apologise. This is a great program. Wirrabirra is a great school. I was extremely pleased with the way the school got behind the launch this morning. It is obviously a very well-run school. It is a great school in the member for Gosnells’ area, and it did it well. The local government, the Gosnells city council, is also doing a great job in supporting this. I will give members a little of the background. This program is about giving young children access to sporting clubs, especially those who really cannot afford it. I will not go into all the details, as I have done that in the house before, but over the next four years we will see up to 30 000 children who do not access sporting clubs at present, accessing sporting clubs. This will bring all the benefits that come with that. Children between the ages of five and 18 will be subsidised $200 annually to pay their club fees, for summer and winter sports. It is a partnership with local government, which is responsible for the local administration of it. The Department of Sport and Recreation works closely with local government, the schools and other groups in our communities—social groups that work with people who are undergoing problems. I want to let members know that 13 local governments are already involved and another 21 are expected to sign up before Christmas. We have just got this going, but it is certainly taking off. I have already mentioned the improvement to children’s physical and mental health, but being involved in sport and a sporting club also has great value for their education and performance at school, and for their decision-making skills. I will talk about my own life experience, because I really believe in this, and I will relate a story to the Parliament. When I was coaching a Willetton cricket club a few years ago, two young boys who came to the club were pretty tough young kids, but they messed up a little bit and the club wanted to get rid of them. We fought this, and said no because we wanted to give these kids a chance. What happened is that both these boys went on to play cricket. One boy left after a couple of years, but is a good young kid. Mr M. McGowan interjected. Mr T.K. WALDRON : I know that the member for Rockingham is having a joke, but this is serious. One of the boys went on to be a leader in the club. He captained the club at one stage and he is now married with children; he has a good job and is a fine member of the community. I did not know at the time, but years later this guy came back and said to me that he had a very nasty situation at home, and when I heard it, it was quite shocking. He said that the cricket club gave him a home, a bit of discipline and some support that got him through that. He said that he was sure that he would have ended up in trouble and in jail, but we now have a great member of the community. I gave that as an example, because that is what this program is all about and that is what we are trying to do. The staff in my department have been working hard with local government, parents and groups to get it started, and I thank them for that. I hope that most of our local governments will participate in this. We had great start to the summer season, and with the winter season more will come on board. Local governments have already requested about 3 500 sports vouchers. In conclusion, the promising thing in Gosnells this morning is that 160 children have already enrolled, and 60 of those children have never been involved in a sports club before. That says it all about the program. I am very proud of our government for doing this and of my colleagues for recognising that this is something that we will not see in bricks and mortar but is a breakthrough that will benefit our society. Other initiatives that will support the volunteers who support this program will be announced early in the new year, and I encourage all members to take up the program and to get more information. If members want to know more, I have these KidSport brochures here today. I thank my colleagues for making this program possible. This will be a great program.
Mr T.K. WALDRON : If not, I am apologising, because I think most members in this place would know that when something like this is happening, I let members know. If that happened, we were wrong and I apologise. This is a great program. Wirrabirra is a great school. I was extremely pleased with the way the school got behind the launch this morning. It is obviously a very well-run school. It is a great school in the member for Gosnells’ area, and it did it well. The local government, the Gosnells city council, is also doing a great job in supporting this. I will give members a little of the background. This program is about giving young children access to sporting clubs, especially those who really cannot afford it. I will not go into all the details, as I have done that in the house before, but over the next four years we will see up to 30 000 children who do not access sporting clubs at present, accessing sporting clubs. This will bring all the benefits that come with that. Children between the ages of five and 18 will be subsidised $200 annually to pay their club fees, for summer and winter sports. It is a partnership with local government, which is responsible for the local administration of it. The Department of Sport and Recreation works closely with local government, the schools and other groups in our communities—social groups that work with people who are undergoing problems. I want to let members know that 13 local governments are already involved and another 21 are expected to sign up before Christmas. We have just got this going, but it is certainly taking off. I have already mentioned the improvement to children’s physical and mental health, but being involved in sport and a sporting club also has great value for their education and performance at school, and for their decision-making skills. I will talk about my own life experience, because I really believe in this, and I will relate a story to the Parliament. When I was coaching a Willetton cricket club a few years ago, two young boys who came to the club were pretty tough young kids, but they messed up a little bit and the club wanted to get rid of them. We fought this, and said no because we wanted to give these kids a chance. What happened is that both these boys went on to play cricket. One boy left after a couple of years, but is a good young kid. Mr M. McGowan interjected. Mr T.K. WALDRON : I know that the member for Rockingham is having a joke, but this is serious. One of the boys went on to be a leader in the club. He captained the club at one stage and he is now married with children; he has a good job and is a fine member of the community. I did not know at the time, but years later this guy came back and said to me that he had a very nasty situation at home, and when I heard it, it was quite shocking. He said that the cricket club gave him a home, a bit of discipline and some support that got him through that. He said that he was sure that he would have ended up in trouble and in jail, but we now have a great member of the community. I gave that as an example, because that is what this program is all about and that is what we are trying to do. The staff in my department have been working hard with local government, parents and groups to get it started, and I thank them for that. I hope that most of our local governments will participate in this. We had great start to the summer season, and with the winter season more will come on board. Local governments have already requested about 3 500 sports vouchers. In conclusion, the promising thing in Gosnells this morning is that 160 children have already enrolled, and 60 of those children have never been involved in a sports club before. That says it all about the program. I am very proud of our government for doing this and of my colleagues for recognising that this is something that we will not see in bricks and mortar but is a breakthrough that will benefit our society. Other initiatives that will support the volunteers who support this program will be announced early in the new year, and I encourage all members to take up the program and to get more information. If members want to know more, I have these KidSport brochures here today. I thank my colleagues for making this program possible. This will be a great program.
This is a great program. Wirrabirra is a great school. I was extremely pleased with the way the school got behind the launch this morning. It is obviously a very well-run school. It is a great school in the member for Gosnells’ area, and it did it well. The local government, the Gosnells city council, is also doing a great job in supporting this. I will give members a little of the background. This program is about giving young children access to sporting clubs, especially those who really cannot afford it. I will not go into all the details, as I have done that in the house before, but over the next four years we will see up to 30 000 children who do not access sporting clubs at present, accessing sporting clubs. This will bring all the benefits that come with that. Children between the ages of five and 18 will be subsidised $200 annually to pay their club fees, for summer and winter sports. It is a partnership with local government, which is responsible for the local administration of it. The Department of Sport and Recreation works closely with local government, the schools and other groups in our communities—social groups that work with people who are undergoing problems. I want to let members know that 13 local governments are already involved and another 21 are expected to sign up before Christmas. We have just got this going, but it is certainly taking off. I have already mentioned the improvement to children’s physical and mental health, but being involved in sport and a sporting club also has great value for their education and performance at school, and for their decision-making skills. I will talk about my own life experience, because I really believe in this, and I will relate a story to the Parliament. When I was coaching a Willetton cricket club a few years ago, two young boys who came to the club were pretty tough young kids, but they messed up a little bit and the club wanted to get rid of them. We fought this, and said no because we wanted to give these kids a chance. What happened is that both these boys went on to play cricket. One boy left after a couple of years, but is a good young kid. Mr M. McGowan interjected. Mr T.K. WALDRON : I know that the member for Rockingham is having a joke, but this is serious. One of the boys went on to be a leader in the club. He captained the club at one stage and he is now married with children; he has a good job and is a fine member of the community. I did not know at the time, but years later this guy came back and said to me that he had a very nasty situation at home, and when I heard it, it was quite shocking. He said that the cricket club gave him a home, a bit of discipline and some support that got him through that. He said that he was sure that he would have ended up in trouble and in jail, but we now have a great member of the community. I gave that as an example, because that is what this program is all about and that is what we are trying to do. The staff in my department have been working hard with local government, parents and groups to get it started, and I thank them for that. I hope that most of our local governments will participate in this. We had great start to the summer season, and with the winter season more will come on board. Local governments have already requested about 3 500 sports vouchers. In conclusion, the promising thing in Gosnells this morning is that 160 children have already enrolled, and 60 of those children have never been involved in a sports club before. That says it all about the program. I am very proud of our government for doing this and of my colleagues for recognising that this is something that we will not see in bricks and mortar but is a breakthrough that will benefit our society. Other initiatives that will support the volunteers who support this program will be announced early in the new year, and I encourage all members to take up the program and to get more information. If members want to know more, I have these KidSport brochures here today. I thank my colleagues for making this program possible. This will be a great program.
The local government, the Gosnells city council, is also doing a great job in supporting this. I will give members a little of the background. This program is about giving young children access to sporting clubs, especially those who really cannot afford it. I will not go into all the details, as I have done that in the house before, but over the next four years we will see up to 30 000 children who do not access sporting clubs at present, accessing sporting clubs. This will bring all the benefits that come with that. Children between the ages of five and 18 will be subsidised $200 annually to pay their club fees, for summer and winter sports. It is a partnership with local government, which is responsible for the local administration of it. The Department of Sport and Recreation works closely with local government, the schools and other groups in our communities—social groups that work with people who are undergoing problems. I want to let members know that 13 local governments are already involved and another 21 are expected to sign up before Christmas. We have just got this going, but it is certainly taking off. I have already mentioned the improvement to children’s physical and mental health, but being involved in sport and a sporting club also has great value for their education and performance at school, and for their decision-making skills. I will talk about my own life experience, because I really believe in this, and I will relate a story to the Parliament. When I was coaching a Willetton cricket club a few years ago, two young boys who came to the club were pretty tough young kids, but they messed up a little bit and the club wanted to get rid of them. We fought this, and said no because we wanted to give these kids a chance. What happened is that both these boys went on to play cricket. One boy left after a couple of years, but is a good young kid. Mr M. McGowan interjected. Mr T.K. WALDRON : I know that the member for Rockingham is having a joke, but this is serious. One of the boys went on to be a leader in the club. He captained the club at one stage and he is now married with children; he has a good job and is a fine member of the community. I did not know at the time, but years later this guy came back and said to me that he had a very nasty situation at home, and when I heard it, it was quite shocking. He said that the cricket club gave him a home, a bit of discipline and some support that got him through that. He said that he was sure that he would have ended up in trouble and in jail, but we now have a great member of the community. I gave that as an example, because that is what this program is all about and that is what we are trying to do. The staff in my department have been working hard with local government, parents and groups to get it started, and I thank them for that. I hope that most of our local governments will participate in this. We had great start to the summer season, and with the winter season more will come on board. Local governments have already requested about 3 500 sports vouchers. In conclusion, the promising thing in Gosnells this morning is that 160 children have already enrolled, and 60 of those children have never been involved in a sports club before. That says it all about the program. I am very proud of our government for doing this and of my colleagues for recognising that this is something that we will not see in bricks and mortar but is a breakthrough that will benefit our society. Other initiatives that will support the volunteers who support this program will be announced early in the new year, and I encourage all members to take up the program and to get more information. If members want to know more, I have these KidSport brochures here today. I thank my colleagues for making this program possible. This will be a great program.
We have just got this going, but it is certainly taking off. I have already mentioned the improvement to children’s physical and mental health, but being involved in sport and a sporting club also has great value for their education and performance at school, and for their decision-making skills. I will talk about my own life experience, because I really believe in this, and I will relate a story to the Parliament. When I was coaching a Willetton cricket club a few years ago, two young boys who came to the club were pretty tough young kids, but they messed up a little bit and the club wanted to get rid of them. We fought this, and said no because we wanted to give these kids a chance. What happened is that both these boys went on to play cricket. One boy left after a couple of years, but is a good young kid. Mr M. McGowan interjected. Mr T.K. WALDRON : I know that the member for Rockingham is having a joke, but this is serious. One of the boys went on to be a leader in the club. He captained the club at one stage and he is now married with children; he has a good job and is a fine member of the community. I did not know at the time, but years later this guy came back and said to me that he had a very nasty situation at home, and when I heard it, it was quite shocking. He said that the cricket club gave him a home, a bit of discipline and some support that got him through that. He said that he was sure that he would have ended up in trouble and in jail, but we now have a great member of the community. I gave that as an example, because that is what this program is all about and that is what we are trying to do. The staff in my department have been working hard with local government, parents and groups to get it started, and I thank them for that. I hope that most of our local governments will participate in this. We had great start to the summer season, and with the winter season more will come on board. Local governments have already requested about 3 500 sports vouchers. In conclusion, the promising thing in Gosnells this morning is that 160 children have already enrolled, and 60 of those children have never been involved in a sports club before. That says it all about the program. I am very proud of our government for doing this and of my colleagues for recognising that this is something that we will not see in bricks and mortar but is a breakthrough that will benefit our society. Other initiatives that will support the volunteers who support this program will be announced early in the new year, and I encourage all members to take up the program and to get more information. If members want to know more, I have these KidSport brochures here today. I thank my colleagues for making this program possible. This will be a great program.
Mr M. McGowan interjected. Mr T.K. WALDRON : I know that the member for Rockingham is having a joke, but this is serious. One of the boys went on to be a leader in the club. He captained the club at one stage and he is now married with children; he has a good job and is a fine member of the community. I did not know at the time, but years later this guy came back and said to me that he had a very nasty situation at home, and when I heard it, it was quite shocking. He said that the cricket club gave him a home, a bit of discipline and some support that got him through that. He said that he was sure that he would have ended up in trouble and in jail, but we now have a great member of the community. I gave that as an example, because that is what this program is all about and that is what we are trying to do. The staff in my department have been working hard with local government, parents and groups to get it started, and I thank them for that. I hope that most of our local governments will participate in this. We had great start to the summer season, and with the winter season more will come on board. Local governments have already requested about 3 500 sports vouchers. In conclusion, the promising thing in Gosnells this morning is that 160 children have already enrolled, and 60 of those children have never been involved in a sports club before. That says it all about the program. I am very proud of our government for doing this and of my colleagues for recognising that this is something that we will not see in bricks and mortar but is a breakthrough that will benefit our society. Other initiatives that will support the volunteers who support this program will be announced early in the new year, and I encourage all members to take up the program and to get more information. If members want to know more, I have these KidSport brochures here today. I thank my colleagues for making this program possible. This will be a great program.
Mr T.K. WALDRON : I know that the member for Rockingham is having a joke, but this is serious. One of the boys went on to be a leader in the club. He captained the club at one stage and he is now married with children; he has a good job and is a fine member of the community. I did not know at the time, but years later this guy came back and said to me that he had a very nasty situation at home, and when I heard it, it was quite shocking. He said that the cricket club gave him a home, a bit of discipline and some support that got him through that. He said that he was sure that he would have ended up in trouble and in jail, but we now have a great member of the community. I gave that as an example, because that is what this program is all about and that is what we are trying to do. The staff in my department have been working hard with local government, parents and groups to get it started, and I thank them for that. I hope that most of our local governments will participate in this. We had great start to the summer season, and with the winter season more will come on board. Local governments have already requested about 3 500 sports vouchers. In conclusion, the promising thing in Gosnells this morning is that 160 children have already enrolled, and 60 of those children have never been involved in a sports club before. That says it all about the program. I am very proud of our government for doing this and of my colleagues for recognising that this is something that we will not see in bricks and mortar but is a breakthrough that will benefit our society. Other initiatives that will support the volunteers who support this program will be announced early in the new year, and I encourage all members to take up the program and to get more information. If members want to know more, I have these KidSport brochures here today. I thank my colleagues for making this program possible. This will be a great program.
The staff in my department have been working hard with local government, parents and groups to get it started, and I thank them for that. I hope that most of our local governments will participate in this. We had great start to the summer season, and with the winter season more will come on board. Local governments have already requested about 3 500 sports vouchers. In conclusion, the promising thing in Gosnells this morning is that 160 children have already enrolled, and 60 of those children have never been involved in a sports club before. That says it all about the program. I am very proud of our government for doing this and of my colleagues for recognising that this is something that we will not see in bricks and mortar but is a breakthrough that will benefit our society. Other initiatives that will support the volunteers who support this program will be announced early in the new year, and I encourage all members to take up the program and to get more information. If members want to know more, I have these KidSport brochures here today. I thank my colleagues for making this program possible. This will be a great program.
In conclusion, the promising thing in Gosnells this morning is that 160 children have already enrolled, and 60 of those children have never been involved in a sports club before. That says it all about the program. I am very proud of our government for doing this and of my colleagues for recognising that this is something that we will not see in bricks and mortar but is a breakthrough that will benefit our society. Other initiatives that will support the volunteers who support this program will be announced early in the new year, and I encourage all members to take up the program and to get more information. If members want to know more, I have these KidSport brochures here today. I thank my colleagues for making this program possible. This will be a great program.
Mr T.K. WALDRON replied: I thank the member for Kingsley for the question and for her support. As members would know from my 11 years in this place, I have always had a real belief in what sport and recreation delivers, not just on the sporting field through the physical and mental health benefits but also in our communities, from youngsters to old people. In the budget this year I was very proud to announce an allocation of $10 million over four years to help WA kids and families form better connections with their communities. This was part of an overall $20 million program, of which $10 million is related to KidSport, which I launched this morning. The Premier and I were very pleased to officially launch KidSport today at Wirrabirra Primary School in Gosnells. It was a great morning. Mr C.J. Tallentire : You didn’t bother to invite the local member! The SPEAKER : Member for Gosnells, I am formally going to call you to order for the first time today. I suggest to you that there might be other ways to make that particular point. Mr T.K. WALDRON : I apologise if the member for Gosnells was not invited. I apologise; I did not realise that. Mr C.J. Tallentire : Your office did not offer any apology at all! Mr T.K. WALDRON : If not, I am apologising, because I think most members in this place would know that when something like this is happening, I let members know. If that happened, we were wrong and I apologise. This is a great program. Wirrabirra is a great school. I was extremely pleased with the way the school got behind the launch this morning. It is obviously a very well-run school. It is a great school in the member for Gosnells’ area, and it did it well. The local government, the Gosnells city council, is also doing a great job in supporting this. I will give members a little of the background. This program is about giving young children access to sporting clubs, especially those who really cannot afford it. I will not go into all the details, as I have done that in the house before, but over the next four years we will see up to 30 000 children who do not access sporting clubs at present, accessing sporting clubs. This will bring all the benefits that come with that. Children between the ages of five and 18 will be subsidised $200 annually to pay their club fees, for summer and winter sports. It is a partnership with local government, which is responsible for the local administration of it. The Department of Sport and Recreation works closely with local government, the schools and other groups in our communities—social groups that work with people who are undergoing problems. I want to let members know that 13 local governments are already involved and another 21 are expected to sign up before Christmas. We have just got this going, but it is certainly taking off. I have already mentioned the improvement to children’s physical and mental health, but being involved in sport and a sporting club also has great value for their education and performance at school, and for their decision-making skills. I will talk about my own life experience, because I really believe in this, and I will relate a story to the Parliament. When I was coaching a Willetton cricket club a few years ago, two young boys who came to the club were pretty tough young kids, but they messed up a little bit and the club wanted to get rid of them. We fought this, and said no because we wanted to give these kids a chance. What happened is that both these boys went on to play cricket. One boy left after a couple of years, but is a good young kid. Mr M. McGowan interjected. Mr T.K. WALDRON : I know that the member for Rockingham is having a joke, but this is serious. One of the boys went on to be a leader in the club. He captained the club at one stage and he is now married with children; he has a good job and is a fine member of the community. I did not know at the time, but years later this guy came back and said to me that he had a very nasty situation at home, and when I heard it, it was quite shocking. He said that the cricket club gave him a home, a bit of discipline and some support that got him through that. He said that he was sure that he would have ended up in trouble and in jail, but we now have a great member of the community. I gave that as an example, because that is what this program is all about and that is what we are trying to do. The staff in my department have been working hard with local government, parents and groups to get it started, and I thank them for that. I hope that most of our local governments will participate in this. We had great start to the summer season, and with the winter season more will come on board. Local governments have already requested about 3 500 sports vouchers. In conclusion, the promising thing in Gosnells this morning is that 160 children have already enrolled, and 60 of those children have never been involved in a sports club before. That says it all about the program. I am very proud of our government for doing this and of my colleagues for recognising that this is something that we will not see in bricks and mortar but is a breakthrough that will benefit our society. Other initiatives that will support the volunteers who support this program will be announced early in the new year, and I encourage all members to take up the program and to get more information. If members want to know more, I have these KidSport brochures here today. I thank my colleagues for making this program possible. This will be a great program.
I thank the member for Kingsley for the question and for her support. As members would know from my 11 years in this place, I have always had a real belief in what sport and recreation delivers, not just on the sporting field through the physical and mental health benefits but also in our communities, from youngsters to old people. In the budget this year I was very proud to announce an allocation of $10 million over four years to help WA kids and families form better connections with their communities. This was part of an overall $20 million program, of which $10 million is related to KidSport, which I launched this morning. The Premier and I were very pleased to officially launch KidSport today at Wirrabirra Primary School in Gosnells. It was a great morning. Mr C.J. Tallentire : You didn’t bother to invite the local member! The SPEAKER : Member for Gosnells, I am formally going to call you to order for the first time today. I suggest to you that there might be other ways to make that particular point. Mr T.K. WALDRON : I apologise if the member for Gosnells was not invited. I apologise; I did not realise that. Mr C.J. Tallentire : Your office did not offer any apology at all! Mr T.K. WALDRON : If not, I am apologising, because I think most members in this place would know that when something like this is happening, I let members know. If that happened, we were wrong and I apologise. This is a great program. Wirrabirra is a great school. I was extremely pleased with the way the school got behind the launch this morning. It is obviously a very well-run school. It is a great school in the member for Gosnells’ area, and it did it well. The local government, the Gosnells city council, is also doing a great job in supporting this. I will give members a little of the background. This program is about giving young children access to sporting clubs, especially those who really cannot afford it. I will not go into all the details, as I have done that in the house before, but over the next four years we will see up to 30 000 children who do not access sporting clubs at present, accessing sporting clubs. This will bring all the benefits that come with that. Children between the ages of five and 18 will be subsidised $200 annually to pay their club fees, for summer and winter sports. It is a partnership with local government, which is responsible for the local administration of it. The Department of Sport and Recreation works closely with local government, the schools and other groups in our communities—social groups that work with people who are undergoing problems. I want to let members know that 13 local governments are already involved and another 21 are expected to sign up before Christmas. We have just got this going, but it is certainly taking off. I have already mentioned the improvement to children’s physical and mental health, but being involved in sport and a sporting club also has great value for their education and performance at school, and for their decision-making skills. I will talk about my own life experience, because I really believe in this, and I will relate a story to the Parliament. When I was coaching a Willetton cricket club a few years ago, two young boys who came to the club were pretty tough young kids, but they messed up a little bit and the club wanted to get rid of them. We fought this, and said no because we wanted to give these kids a chance. What happened is that both these boys went on to play cricket. One boy left after a couple of years, but is a good young kid. Mr M. McGowan interjected. Mr T.K. WALDRON : I know that the member for Rockingham is having a joke, but this is serious. One of the boys went on to be a leader in the club. He captained the club at one stage and he is now married with children; he has a good job and is a fine member of the community. I did not know at the time, but years later this guy came back and said to me that he had a very nasty situation at home, and when I heard it, it was quite shocking. He said that the cricket club gave him a home, a bit of discipline and some support that got him through that. He said that he was sure that he would have ended up in trouble and in jail, but we now have a great member of the community. I gave that as an example, because that is what this program is all about and that is what we are trying to do. The staff in my department have been working hard with local government, parents and groups to get it started, and I thank them for that. I hope that most of our local governments will participate in this. We had great start to the summer season, and with the winter season more will come on board. Local governments have already requested about 3 500 sports vouchers. In conclusion, the promising thing in Gosnells this morning is that 160 children have already enrolled, and 60 of those children have never been involved in a sports club before. That says it all about the program. I am very proud of our government for doing this and of my colleagues for recognising that this is something that we will not see in bricks and mortar but is a breakthrough that will benefit our society. Other initiatives that will support the volunteers who support this program will be announced early in the new year, and I encourage all members to take up the program and to get more information. If members want to know more, I have these KidSport brochures here today. I thank my colleagues for making this program possible. This will be a great program.
Mr C.J. Tallentire : You didn’t bother to invite the local member! The SPEAKER : Member for Gosnells, I am formally going to call you to order for the first time today. I suggest to you that there might be other ways to make that particular point. Mr T.K. WALDRON : I apologise if the member for Gosnells was not invited. I apologise; I did not realise that. Mr C.J. Tallentire : Your office did not offer any apology at all! Mr T.K. WALDRON : If not, I am apologising, because I think most members in this place would know that when something like this is happening, I let members know. If that happened, we were wrong and I apologise. This is a great program. Wirrabirra is a great school. I was extremely pleased with the way the school got behind the launch this morning. It is obviously a very well-run school. It is a great school in the member for Gosnells’ area, and it did it well. The local government, the Gosnells city council, is also doing a great job in supporting this. I will give members a little of the background. This program is about giving young children access to sporting clubs, especially those who really cannot afford it. I will not go into all the details, as I have done that in the house before, but over the next four years we will see up to 30 000 children who do not access sporting clubs at present, accessing sporting clubs. This will bring all the benefits that come with that. Children between the ages of five and 18 will be subsidised $200 annually to pay their club fees, for summer and winter sports. It is a partnership with local government, which is responsible for the local administration of it. The Department of Sport and Recreation works closely with local government, the schools and other groups in our communities—social groups that work with people who are undergoing problems. I want to let members know that 13 local governments are already involved and another 21 are expected to sign up before Christmas. We have just got this going, but it is certainly taking off. I have already mentioned the improvement to children’s physical and mental health, but being involved in sport and a sporting club also has great value for their education and performance at school, and for their decision-making skills. I will talk about my own life experience, because I really believe in this, and I will relate a story to the Parliament. When I was coaching a Willetton cricket club a few years ago, two young boys who came to the club were pretty tough young kids, but they messed up a little bit and the club wanted to get rid of them. We fought this, and said no because we wanted to give these kids a chance. What happened is that both these boys went on to play cricket. One boy left after a couple of years, but is a good young kid. Mr M. McGowan interjected. Mr T.K. WALDRON : I know that the member for Rockingham is having a joke, but this is serious. One of the boys went on to be a leader in the club. He captained the club at one stage and he is now married with children; he has a good job and is a fine member of the community. I did not know at the time, but years later this guy came back and said to me that he had a very nasty situation at home, and when I heard it, it was quite shocking. He said that the cricket club gave him a home, a bit of discipline and some support that got him through that. He said that he was sure that he would have ended up in trouble and in jail, but we now have a great member of the community. I gave that as an example, because that is what this program is all about and that is what we are trying to do. The staff in my department have been working hard with local government, parents and groups to get it started, and I thank them for that. I hope that most of our local governments will participate in this. We had great start to the summer season, and with the winter season more will come on board. Local governments have already requested about 3 500 sports vouchers. In conclusion, the promising thing in Gosnells this morning is that 160 children have already enrolled, and 60 of those children have never been involved in a sports club before. That says it all about the program. I am very proud of our government for doing this and of my colleagues for recognising that this is something that we will not see in bricks and mortar but is a breakthrough that will benefit our society. Other initiatives that will support the volunteers who support this program will be announced early in the new year, and I encourage all members to take up the program and to get more information. If members want to know more, I have these KidSport brochures here today. I thank my colleagues for making this program possible. This will be a great program.
The SPEAKER : Member for Gosnells, I am formally going to call you to order for the first time today. I suggest to you that there might be other ways to make that particular point. Mr T.K. WALDRON : I apologise if the member for Gosnells was not invited. I apologise; I did not realise that. Mr C.J. Tallentire : Your office did not offer any apology at all! Mr T.K. WALDRON : If not, I am apologising, because I think most members in this place would know that when something like this is happening, I let members know. If that happened, we were wrong and I apologise. This is a great program. Wirrabirra is a great school. I was extremely pleased with the way the school got behind the launch this morning. It is obviously a very well-run school. It is a great school in the member for Gosnells’ area, and it did it well. The local government, the Gosnells city council, is also doing a great job in supporting this. I will give members a little of the background. This program is about giving young children access to sporting clubs, especially those who really cannot afford it. I will not go into all the details, as I have done that in the house before, but over the next four years we will see up to 30 000 children who do not access sporting clubs at present, accessing sporting clubs. This will bring all the benefits that come with that. Children between the ages of five and 18 will be subsidised $200 annually to pay their club fees, for summer and winter sports. It is a partnership with local government, which is responsible for the local administration of it. The Department of Sport and Recreation works closely with local government, the schools and other groups in our communities—social groups that work with people who are undergoing problems. I want to let members know that 13 local governments are already involved and another 21 are expected to sign up before Christmas. We have just got this going, but it is certainly taking off. I have already mentioned the improvement to children’s physical and mental health, but being involved in sport and a sporting club also has great value for their education and performance at school, and for their decision-making skills. I will talk about my own life experience, because I really believe in this, and I will relate a story to the Parliament. When I was coaching a Willetton cricket club a few years ago, two young boys who came to the club were pretty tough young kids, but they messed up a little bit and the club wanted to get rid of them. We fought this, and said no because we wanted to give these kids a chance. What happened is that both these boys went on to play cricket. One boy left after a couple of years, but is a good young kid. Mr M. McGowan interjected. Mr T.K. WALDRON : I know that the member for Rockingham is having a joke, but this is serious. One of the boys went on to be a leader in the club. He captained the club at one stage and he is now married with children; he has a good job and is a fine member of the community. I did not know at the time, but years later this guy came back and said to me that he had a very nasty situation at home, and when I heard it, it was quite shocking. He said that the cricket club gave him a home, a bit of discipline and some support that got him through that. He said that he was sure that he would have ended up in trouble and in jail, but we now have a great member of the community. I gave that as an example, because that is what this program is all about and that is what we are trying to do. The staff in my department have been working hard with local government, parents and groups to get it started, and I thank them for that. I hope that most of our local governments will participate in this. We had great start to the summer season, and with the winter season more will come on board. Local governments have already requested about 3 500 sports vouchers. In conclusion, the promising thing in Gosnells this morning is that 160 children have already enrolled, and 60 of those children have never been involved in a sports club before. That says it all about the program. I am very proud of our government for doing this and of my colleagues for recognising that this is something that we will not see in bricks and mortar but is a breakthrough that will benefit our society. Other initiatives that will support the volunteers who support this program will be announced early in the new year, and I encourage all members to take up the program and to get more information. If members want to know more, I have these KidSport brochures here today. I thank my colleagues for making this program possible. This will be a great program.
Mr T.K. WALDRON : I apologise if the member for Gosnells was not invited. I apologise; I did not realise that. Mr C.J. Tallentire : Your office did not offer any apology at all! Mr T.K. WALDRON : If not, I am apologising, because I think most members in this place would know that when something like this is happening, I let members know. If that happened, we were wrong and I apologise. This is a great program. Wirrabirra is a great school. I was extremely pleased with the way the school got behind the launch this morning. It is obviously a very well-run school. It is a great school in the member for Gosnells’ area, and it did it well. The local government, the Gosnells city council, is also doing a great job in supporting this. I will give members a little of the background. This program is about giving young children access to sporting clubs, especially those who really cannot afford it. I will not go into all the details, as I have done that in the house before, but over the next four years we will see up to 30 000 children who do not access sporting clubs at present, accessing sporting clubs. This will bring all the benefits that come with that. Children between the ages of five and 18 will be subsidised $200 annually to pay their club fees, for summer and winter sports. It is a partnership with local government, which is responsible for the local administration of it. The Department of Sport and Recreation works closely with local government, the schools and other groups in our communities—social groups that work with people who are undergoing problems. I want to let members know that 13 local governments are already involved and another 21 are expected to sign up before Christmas. We have just got this going, but it is certainly taking off. I have already mentioned the improvement to children’s physical and mental health, but being involved in sport and a sporting club also has great value for their education and performance at school, and for their decision-making skills. I will talk about my own life experience, because I really believe in this, and I will relate a story to the Parliament. When I was coaching a Willetton cricket club a few years ago, two young boys who came to the club were pretty tough young kids, but they messed up a little bit and the club wanted to get rid of them. We fought this, and said no because we wanted to give these kids a chance. What happened is that both these boys went on to play cricket. One boy left after a couple of years, but is a good young kid. Mr M. McGowan interjected. Mr T.K. WALDRON : I know that the member for Rockingham is having a joke, but this is serious. One of the boys went on to be a leader in the club. He captained the club at one stage and he is now married with children; he has a good job and is a fine member of the community. I did not know at the time, but years later this guy came back and said to me that he had a very nasty situation at home, and when I heard it, it was quite shocking. He said that the cricket club gave him a home, a bit of discipline and some support that got him through that. He said that he was sure that he would have ended up in trouble and in jail, but we now have a great member of the community. I gave that as an example, because that is what this program is all about and that is what we are trying to do. The staff in my department have been working hard with local government, parents and groups to get it started, and I thank them for that. I hope that most of our local governments will participate in this. We had great start to the summer season, and with the winter season more will come on board. Local governments have already requested about 3 500 sports vouchers. In conclusion, the promising thing in Gosnells this morning is that 160 children have already enrolled, and 60 of those children have never been involved in a sports club before. That says it all about the program. I am very proud of our government for doing this and of my colleagues for recognising that this is something that we will not see in bricks and mortar but is a breakthrough that will benefit our society. Other initiatives that will support the volunteers who support this program will be announced early in the new year, and I encourage all members to take up the program and to get more information. If members want to know more, I have these KidSport brochures here today. I thank my colleagues for making this program possible. This will be a great program.
Mr C.J. Tallentire : Your office did not offer any apology at all! Mr T.K. WALDRON : If not, I am apologising, because I think most members in this place would know that when something like this is happening, I let members know. If that happened, we were wrong and I apologise. This is a great program. Wirrabirra is a great school. I was extremely pleased with the way the school got behind the launch this morning. It is obviously a very well-run school. It is a great school in the member for Gosnells’ area, and it did it well. The local government, the Gosnells city council, is also doing a great job in supporting this. I will give members a little of the background. This program is about giving young children access to sporting clubs, especially those who really cannot afford it. I will not go into all the details, as I have done that in the house before, but over the next four years we will see up to 30 000 children who do not access sporting clubs at present, accessing sporting clubs. This will bring all the benefits that come with that. Children between the ages of five and 18 will be subsidised $200 annually to pay their club fees, for summer and winter sports. It is a partnership with local government, which is responsible for the local administration of it. The Department of Sport and Recreation works closely with local government, the schools and other groups in our communities—social groups that work with people who are undergoing problems. I want to let members know that 13 local governments are already involved and another 21 are expected to sign up before Christmas. We have just got this going, but it is certainly taking off. I have already mentioned the improvement to children’s physical and mental health, but being involved in sport and a sporting club also has great value for their education and performance at school, and for their decision-making skills. I will talk about my own life experience, because I really believe in this, and I will relate a story to the Parliament. When I was coaching a Willetton cricket club a few years ago, two young boys who came to the club were pretty tough young kids, but they messed up a little bit and the club wanted to get rid of them. We fought this, and said no because we wanted to give these kids a chance. What happened is that both these boys went on to play cricket. One boy left after a couple of years, but is a good young kid. Mr M. McGowan interjected. Mr T.K. WALDRON : I know that the member for Rockingham is having a joke, but this is serious. One of the boys went on to be a leader in the club. He captained the club at one stage and he is now married with children; he has a good job and is a fine member of the community. I did not know at the time, but years later this guy came back and said to me that he had a very nasty situation at home, and when I heard it, it was quite shocking. He said that the cricket club gave him a home, a bit of discipline and some support that got him through that. He said that he was sure that he would have ended up in trouble and in jail, but we now have a great member of the community. I gave that as an example, because that is what this program is all about and that is what we are trying to do. The staff in my department have been working hard with local government, parents and groups to get it started, and I thank them for that. I hope that most of our local governments will participate in this. We had great start to the summer season, and with the winter season more will come on board. Local governments have already requested about 3 500 sports vouchers. In conclusion, the promising thing in Gosnells this morning is that 160 children have already enrolled, and 60 of those children have never been involved in a sports club before. That says it all about the program. I am very proud of our government for doing this and of my colleagues for recognising that this is something that we will not see in bricks and mortar but is a breakthrough that will benefit our society. Other initiatives that will support the volunteers who support this program will be announced early in the new year, and I encourage all members to take up the program and to get more information. If members want to know more, I have these KidSport brochures here today. I thank my colleagues for making this program possible. This will be a great program.
Mr T.K. WALDRON : If not, I am apologising, because I think most members in this place would know that when something like this is happening, I let members know. If that happened, we were wrong and I apologise. This is a great program. Wirrabirra is a great school. I was extremely pleased with the way the school got behind the launch this morning. It is obviously a very well-run school. It is a great school in the member for Gosnells’ area, and it did it well. The local government, the Gosnells city council, is also doing a great job in supporting this. I will give members a little of the background. This program is about giving young children access to sporting clubs, especially those who really cannot afford it. I will not go into all the details, as I have done that in the house before, but over the next four years we will see up to 30 000 children who do not access sporting clubs at present, accessing sporting clubs. This will bring all the benefits that come with that. Children between the ages of five and 18 will be subsidised $200 annually to pay their club fees, for summer and winter sports. It is a partnership with local government, which is responsible for the local administration of it. The Department of Sport and Recreation works closely with local government, the schools and other groups in our communities—social groups that work with people who are undergoing problems. I want to let members know that 13 local governments are already involved and another 21 are expected to sign up before Christmas. We have just got this going, but it is certainly taking off. I have already mentioned the improvement to children’s physical and mental health, but being involved in sport and a sporting club also has great value for their education and performance at school, and for their decision-making skills. I will talk about my own life experience, because I really believe in this, and I will relate a story to the Parliament. When I was coaching a Willetton cricket club a few years ago, two young boys who came to the club were pretty tough young kids, but they messed up a little bit and the club wanted to get rid of them. We fought this, and said no because we wanted to give these kids a chance. What happened is that both these boys went on to play cricket. One boy left after a couple of years, but is a good young kid. Mr M. McGowan interjected. Mr T.K. WALDRON : I know that the member for Rockingham is having a joke, but this is serious. One of the boys went on to be a leader in the club. He captained the club at one stage and he is now married with children; he has a good job and is a fine member of the community. I did not know at the time, but years later this guy came back and said to me that he had a very nasty situation at home, and when I heard it, it was quite shocking. He said that the cricket club gave him a home, a bit of discipline and some support that got him through that. He said that he was sure that he would have ended up in trouble and in jail, but we now have a great member of the community. I gave that as an example, because that is what this program is all about and that is what we are trying to do. The staff in my department have been working hard with local government, parents and groups to get it started, and I thank them for that. I hope that most of our local governments will participate in this. We had great start to the summer season, and with the winter season more will come on board. Local governments have already requested about 3 500 sports vouchers. In conclusion, the promising thing in Gosnells this morning is that 160 children have already enrolled, and 60 of those children have never been involved in a sports club before. That says it all about the program. I am very proud of our government for doing this and of my colleagues for recognising that this is something that we will not see in bricks and mortar but is a breakthrough that will benefit our society. Other initiatives that will support the volunteers who support this program will be announced early in the new year, and I encourage all members to take up the program and to get more information. If members want to know more, I have these KidSport brochures here today. I thank my colleagues for making this program possible. This will be a great program.
This is a great program. Wirrabirra is a great school. I was extremely pleased with the way the school got behind the launch this morning. It is obviously a very well-run school. It is a great school in the member for Gosnells’ area, and it did it well. The local government, the Gosnells city council, is also doing a great job in supporting this. I will give members a little of the background. This program is about giving young children access to sporting clubs, especially those who really cannot afford it. I will not go into all the details, as I have done that in the house before, but over the next four years we will see up to 30 000 children who do not access sporting clubs at present, accessing sporting clubs. This will bring all the benefits that come with that. Children between the ages of five and 18 will be subsidised $200 annually to pay their club fees, for summer and winter sports. It is a partnership with local government, which is responsible for the local administration of it. The Department of Sport and Recreation works closely with local government, the schools and other groups in our communities—social groups that work with people who are undergoing problems. I want to let members know that 13 local governments are already involved and another 21 are expected to sign up before Christmas. We have just got this going, but it is certainly taking off. I have already mentioned the improvement to children’s physical and mental health, but being involved in sport and a sporting club also has great value for their education and performance at school, and for their decision-making skills. I will talk about my own life experience, because I really believe in this, and I will relate a story to the Parliament. When I was coaching a Willetton cricket club a few years ago, two young boys who came to the club were pretty tough young kids, but they messed up a little bit and the club wanted to get rid of them. We fought this, and said no because we wanted to give these kids a chance. What happened is that both these boys went on to play cricket. One boy left after a couple of years, but is a good young kid. Mr M. McGowan interjected. Mr T.K. WALDRON : I know that the member for Rockingham is having a joke, but this is serious. One of the boys went on to be a leader in the club. He captained the club at one stage and he is now married with children; he has a good job and is a fine member of the community. I did not know at the time, but years later this guy came back and said to me that he had a very nasty situation at home, and when I heard it, it was quite shocking. He said that the cricket club gave him a home, a bit of discipline and some support that got him through that. He said that he was sure that he would have ended up in trouble and in jail, but we now have a great member of the community. I gave that as an example, because that is what this program is all about and that is what we are trying to do. The staff in my department have been working hard with local government, parents and groups to get it started, and I thank them for that. I hope that most of our local governments will participate in this. We had great start to the summer season, and with the winter season more will come on board. Local governments have already requested about 3 500 sports vouchers. In conclusion, the promising thing in Gosnells this morning is that 160 children have already enrolled, and 60 of those children have never been involved in a sports club before. That says it all about the program. I am very proud of our government for doing this and of my colleagues for recognising that this is something that we will not see in bricks and mortar but is a breakthrough that will benefit our society. Other initiatives that will support the volunteers who support this program will be announced early in the new year, and I encourage all members to take up the program and to get more information. If members want to know more, I have these KidSport brochures here today. I thank my colleagues for making this program possible. This will be a great program.
The local government, the Gosnells city council, is also doing a great job in supporting this. I will give members a little of the background. This program is about giving young children access to sporting clubs, especially those who really cannot afford it. I will not go into all the details, as I have done that in the house before, but over the next four years we will see up to 30 000 children who do not access sporting clubs at present, accessing sporting clubs. This will bring all the benefits that come with that. Children between the ages of five and 18 will be subsidised $200 annually to pay their club fees, for summer and winter sports. It is a partnership with local government, which is responsible for the local administration of it. The Department of Sport and Recreation works closely with local government, the schools and other groups in our communities—social groups that work with people who are undergoing problems. I want to let members know that 13 local governments are already involved and another 21 are expected to sign up before Christmas. We have just got this going, but it is certainly taking off. I have already mentioned the improvement to children’s physical and mental health, but being involved in sport and a sporting club also has great value for their education and performance at school, and for their decision-making skills. I will talk about my own life experience, because I really believe in this, and I will relate a story to the Parliament. When I was coaching a Willetton cricket club a few years ago, two young boys who came to the club were pretty tough young kids, but they messed up a little bit and the club wanted to get rid of them. We fought this, and said no because we wanted to give these kids a chance. What happened is that both these boys went on to play cricket. One boy left after a couple of years, but is a good young kid. Mr M. McGowan interjected. Mr T.K. WALDRON : I know that the member for Rockingham is having a joke, but this is serious. One of the boys went on to be a leader in the club. He captained the club at one stage and he is now married with children; he has a good job and is a fine member of the community. I did not know at the time, but years later this guy came back and said to me that he had a very nasty situation at home, and when I heard it, it was quite shocking. He said that the cricket club gave him a home, a bit of discipline and some support that got him through that. He said that he was sure that he would have ended up in trouble and in jail, but we now have a great member of the community. I gave that as an example, because that is what this program is all about and that is what we are trying to do. The staff in my department have been working hard with local government, parents and groups to get it started, and I thank them for that. I hope that most of our local governments will participate in this. We had great start to the summer season, and with the winter season more will come on board. Local governments have already requested about 3 500 sports vouchers. In conclusion, the promising thing in Gosnells this morning is that 160 children have already enrolled, and 60 of those children have never been involved in a sports club before. That says it all about the program. I am very proud of our government for doing this and of my colleagues for recognising that this is something that we will not see in bricks and mortar but is a breakthrough that will benefit our society. Other initiatives that will support the volunteers who support this program will be announced early in the new year, and I encourage all members to take up the program and to get more information. If members want to know more, I have these KidSport brochures here today. I thank my colleagues for making this program possible. This will be a great program.
We have just got this going, but it is certainly taking off. I have already mentioned the improvement to children’s physical and mental health, but being involved in sport and a sporting club also has great value for their education and performance at school, and for their decision-making skills. I will talk about my own life experience, because I really believe in this, and I will relate a story to the Parliament. When I was coaching a Willetton cricket club a few years ago, two young boys who came to the club were pretty tough young kids, but they messed up a little bit and the club wanted to get rid of them. We fought this, and said no because we wanted to give these kids a chance. What happened is that both these boys went on to play cricket. One boy left after a couple of years, but is a good young kid. Mr M. McGowan interjected. Mr T.K. WALDRON : I know that the member for Rockingham is having a joke, but this is serious. One of the boys went on to be a leader in the club. He captained the club at one stage and he is now married with children; he has a good job and is a fine member of the community. I did not know at the time, but years later this guy came back and said to me that he had a very nasty situation at home, and when I heard it, it was quite shocking. He said that the cricket club gave him a home, a bit of discipline and some support that got him through that. He said that he was sure that he would have ended up in trouble and in jail, but we now have a great member of the community. I gave that as an example, because that is what this program is all about and that is what we are trying to do. The staff in my department have been working hard with local government, parents and groups to get it started, and I thank them for that. I hope that most of our local governments will participate in this. We had great start to the summer season, and with the winter season more will come on board. Local governments have already requested about 3 500 sports vouchers. In conclusion, the promising thing in Gosnells this morning is that 160 children have already enrolled, and 60 of those children have never been involved in a sports club before. That says it all about the program. I am very proud of our government for doing this and of my colleagues for recognising that this is something that we will not see in bricks and mortar but is a breakthrough that will benefit our society. Other initiatives that will support the volunteers who support this program will be announced early in the new year, and I encourage all members to take up the program and to get more information. If members want to know more, I have these KidSport brochures here today. I thank my colleagues for making this program possible. This will be a great program.
Mr M. McGowan interjected. Mr T.K. WALDRON : I know that the member for Rockingham is having a joke, but this is serious. One of the boys went on to be a leader in the club. He captained the club at one stage and he is now married with children; he has a good job and is a fine member of the community. I did not know at the time, but years later this guy came back and said to me that he had a very nasty situation at home, and when I heard it, it was quite shocking. He said that the cricket club gave him a home, a bit of discipline and some support that got him through that. He said that he was sure that he would have ended up in trouble and in jail, but we now have a great member of the community. I gave that as an example, because that is what this program is all about and that is what we are trying to do. The staff in my department have been working hard with local government, parents and groups to get it started, and I thank them for that. I hope that most of our local governments will participate in this. We had great start to the summer season, and with the winter season more will come on board. Local governments have already requested about 3 500 sports vouchers. In conclusion, the promising thing in Gosnells this morning is that 160 children have already enrolled, and 60 of those children have never been involved in a sports club before. That says it all about the program. I am very proud of our government for doing this and of my colleagues for recognising that this is something that we will not see in bricks and mortar but is a breakthrough that will benefit our society. Other initiatives that will support the volunteers who support this program will be announced early in the new year, and I encourage all members to take up the program and to get more information. If members want to know more, I have these KidSport brochures here today. I thank my colleagues for making this program possible. This will be a great program.
Mr T.K. WALDRON : I know that the member for Rockingham is having a joke, but this is serious. One of the boys went on to be a leader in the club. He captained the club at one stage and he is now married with children; he has a good job and is a fine member of the community. I did not know at the time, but years later this guy came back and said to me that he had a very nasty situation at home, and when I heard it, it was quite shocking. He said that the cricket club gave him a home, a bit of discipline and some support that got him through that. He said that he was sure that he would have ended up in trouble and in jail, but we now have a great member of the community. I gave that as an example, because that is what this program is all about and that is what we are trying to do. The staff in my department have been working hard with local government, parents and groups to get it started, and I thank them for that. I hope that most of our local governments will participate in this. We had great start to the summer season, and with the winter season more will come on board. Local governments have already requested about 3 500 sports vouchers. In conclusion, the promising thing in Gosnells this morning is that 160 children have already enrolled, and 60 of those children have never been involved in a sports club before. That says it all about the program. I am very proud of our government for doing this and of my colleagues for recognising that this is something that we will not see in bricks and mortar but is a breakthrough that will benefit our society. Other initiatives that will support the volunteers who support this program will be announced early in the new year, and I encourage all members to take up the program and to get more information. If members want to know more, I have these KidSport brochures here today. I thank my colleagues for making this program possible. This will be a great program.
The staff in my department have been working hard with local government, parents and groups to get it started, and I thank them for that. I hope that most of our local governments will participate in this. We had great start to the summer season, and with the winter season more will come on board. Local governments have already requested about 3 500 sports vouchers. In conclusion, the promising thing in Gosnells this morning is that 160 children have already enrolled, and 60 of those children have never been involved in a sports club before. That says it all about the program. I am very proud of our government for doing this and of my colleagues for recognising that this is something that we will not see in bricks and mortar but is a breakthrough that will benefit our society. Other initiatives that will support the volunteers who support this program will be announced early in the new year, and I encourage all members to take up the program and to get more information. If members want to know more, I have these KidSport brochures here today. I thank my colleagues for making this program possible. This will be a great program.
In conclusion, the promising thing in Gosnells this morning is that 160 children have already enrolled, and 60 of those children have never been involved in a sports club before. That says it all about the program. I am very proud of our government for doing this and of my colleagues for recognising that this is something that we will not see in bricks and mortar but is a breakthrough that will benefit our society. Other initiatives that will support the volunteers who support this program will be announced early in the new year, and I encourage all members to take up the program and to get more information. If members want to know more, I have these KidSport brochures here today. I thank my colleagues for making this program possible. This will be a great program.
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