Radio interview with Minister Wells and Peter Fagan, 4BC Breakfast - 22 January 2025

Read the transcript of Minister Wells' interview with Peter Fagan on Play Fund Our Way

The Hon Anika Wells MP
Minister for Aged Care
Minister for Sport

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PETER FEGAN, 4BC: Who's been watching the Australian Open? Well, I've caught a fair bit of it, to be honest. I've been watching it most days. And I tell you something: the women's competition has been extraordinary. But I have to say, I'm a little annoyed because obviously there's no Ash Barty this year, which is unfortunate. She was the queen of tennis. So there's actually no Australian women left in the singles draw. And there's Alex de Minaur. He's the only man left in the singles draw for the men. But I've got to say, I think Australia, we used to dominate the tennis. We were always super competitive and I miss it, and I miss Ash Barty.

But the Albanese Government – listen to this, this is a great initiative – is investing almost $1 million to support more women and girls to play tennis and enjoy the mental health benefits that the sport provides, which is great. Tennis Australia will receive $992,000 from the Government to deliver programs in up to 60 clubs to improve the participation and retention of women and girls, particularly in the culturally and linguistically diverse communities, which is fantastic. With all the details, the Federal Health Minister- Federal Sports Minister, I should say, Anika Wells, joins me on the line. You're not the Health Minister.

ANIKA WELLS, MINISTER FOR AGED CARE AND MINISTER FOR SPORT: No, I'm not, Feegs. I think Mark Butler just choked on his coffee when you said that.

FEGAN: [Laughs] And I had him in last year, too. Sorry, Minister. Now, this is fantastic. Now, I've been watching the Australian Open. I've got to say, I miss Ash Barty. But with 990-something odd thousand dollars you're injecting into young women and young girls to try and attract them to the sport, we could have a champion as soon as next year.

WELLS: Don't we all? And it's not too late for Ash to come back. And if she's listening …

FEGAN: [Talks over] Yes.

WELLS:  Ash, you're still young enough. We believe in you. Not too late to come back for Brisbane 2032. But like you say, what we want is thousands more Ash Bartys, and we know that they're out there in Australia, in suburbs and regions across the place, and we want them to have a crack at tennis if that's something that they're interested in doing. So we're putting nearly a million bucks towards breaking down some of the barriers that stop women and girls from having a go.

FEGAN: So a million dollars, it's a great start. So, how can clubs receive the fund? What have they got to do? Because there'll be plenty of tennis coaches this morning driving to work, finding out about this, going: this is fantastic. So what have they got to do?

WELLS: So this is going to be administered by Tennis Australia. And the way that the Play Our Way program, which is a $200 million program, works is that clubs bid for what it would be that would help them get more girls and women into the club. So Tennis Australia tells us there's about 60 clubs that have put in bids for things that would help break down barriers for girls and women, and particularly those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, like you mentioned, and that's what we're funding today to the tune of almost $1 million.

FEGAN: So have we got a shortage of women playing tennis? Because I know that when I was a young child – I played tennis, I still love playing tennis – that there was probably more women playing tennis than there were men. Are you saying that we're struggling to fill quotas?

WELLS: No. We certainly- you know, we have a very proud history of Australian women in tennis on the global stage. I think what we know from the data that we track at the Sport Commission is that when girls hit their teens, they stop playing sport. The drop-off is huge, and we want to kind of address that because there's so many physical and mental health benefits for girls to keep playing sport, and for women to get back into it maybe after they have kids. So it's not just a question of our proud history on the world stage, but making sure that we do these kind of important preventative health measures where we see there's a trend, and that trend is that girls drop off in their teens.

FEGAN: What about young men and young boys? What's the incentive for us to go and play tennis?

WELLS: The Brisbane 2032 opportunity, I would say. The $200 million fund is for women and girls. You might remember it was born out of the Matildas’ Women's World Cup success and trying to address some of the structural barriers that stop women and girls from playing, because there isn't that same drop-off for teen boys that there is for teen girls mapped through data. So this is trying to address that. But I think, for all of us, the opportunity is we're now sort of coming up on seven years out from Brisbane 2032. And we all still have a shot at participating in Brisbane 2032, don't we, whether or not as an athlete who's qualified through the international federation process or whether it's as a ball boy or a volunteer or an official or a coach or someone involved in broadcast. That's the opportunity for us in Brisbane 2032.

And I know you said you're sad that only Alex de Minaur is left. We're all, I'm sure, very excited about his chances tonight at 7.30. But we do have Emerson Jones who's only 16, out of the Gold Coast. She is a superstar and well on her way to doing us all very proud in Brisbane 2032.

FEGAN: Yeah, I miss it. I miss Ash Barty, I've got to say. And I miss Australia being as competitive as we used to be. I mean, gone are the days of the Lleyton Hewitts and the Mark Philippoussis’ and all that sort of stuff in the men's side. Gone are the days of Ash Barty. I mean, Ash Barty was the best in the world. She was almost unbeatable. And you know, unfortunately she left – for good reason. She- you want to have a young family. You can't begrudge her for that. But maybe I think, Minister, we should look into the kitty and offer her a heap of money to come back as well.

WELLS: Well, yeah, there's a couple of women - Victoria, Naomi, who are coming back after having kids. So, like we said, we always want Ash to know that she will be welcome and supported if that's the path that she chooses.

FEGAN: Now, Minister, I just want to move on to other topics while I've got you here this morning. This anti-Semitic behaviour that is being displayed across particularly Sydney and Melbourne is absolutely atrocious. And I don't think there's anyone listening to me this morning that doesn't think that this is disgusting. It has no place in this country. But what I wanted to ask you, and I know that Anthony Albanese has been asked about this morning, but- I mean, within your Cabinet meetings, what is the discussions around what the Opposition has offered? So under Peter Dutton and under David Littleproud, they want six year mandatory sentences for people that will set fire to synagogues or to churches or anything. And they want minimum 12 month sentences for people that graffiti anti-Semitic messages across property as well. What is the Federal Government going to do for us to provide a safer place for people to live in things like Jewish communities?

WELLS: Well, you ask me what we think about Peter Dutton. I think his record is pretty clear here. He's talking- he had nine years to legislate against hate symbols. He had nine years to legislate against the Nazi salute. He had nine years to legislate against doxing. These are things that we have done since we came to government this term: we have combated abhorrent incidents – and like you, I completely agree they are abhorrent incidents – of anti-Semitism. We've criminalised the Nazi salute, displays of hate symbols. We've criminalised doxing. We introduced leg- legislation, I should say, to criminalise a broader range of hate crimes and anti-Semitism. And he voted against legislation.

FEGAN: [Interrupts] But is that enough, though, Minister? Because it keeps happening. Surely we've got to do enough. And I have to say that, yes, the Coalition had eight years, but it wasn't a major issue. We weren't having as many attacks when the Coalition were in charge. But yes, they did drop the ball on it as well. I think both governments are responsible for it. But you've got to admit that when the attack happened in Melbourne, the synagogue attack in Melbourne, Anthony Albanese didn't go there until after the weekend. It wasn't on the top of his list – he was playing tennis.

WELLS: I don't think that's fair at all. I- and we just- you're asking what we're doing? We just announced $100 million for countering violent extremism. We announced that on Friday. The Prime Minister convened National Cabinet, which I think is a welcome but extraordinary step to convene and to try and, like you say, work out what we as policymakers, both in federal and state jurisdictions – and councils, for that matter – across the country can do to do more. Because, like you say, it's abhorrent, it's getting worse and more needs to be done. And we recognise that, and that's why we actually take action on these things, rather than just talking about it when we had plenty of time to do it when we had the keys to the kingdom.

FEGAN: So what are you doing 15 April? You got anything in the diary?

WELLS: What am I doing 15 April?

FEGAN: Well, what about April- what about Saturday, 19 April? I think it's going to be an election, don't you?

WELLS: Oh, right. I was actually thinking it’s about my mum's birthday then, so I was on a very different track to what you're thinking. Look, it has to be done by 17 May. I think around when you're talking is- are they getting near Easter holidays?

FEGAN: Yeah, we are. Yeah, I've just looked at it. I'm just trying to find a date. What about the 26th? Do you want to lock in the 26th?

WELLS: That's the day…

FEGAN: [Talks over] Day after ANZAC Day, okay. So we- okay, hang on. We’re- hang on. Minister, we're on to something here. Hang on, hang on. So we can't do it on the 19th, so we can't do it then. We can't do it the 26th. We can't schedule it there. What about the 12th? How are you looking for 12 April? Do you like that?

WELLS: I'm ready. If you want to do it tomorrow, I'm ready tomorrow. You know, I love a campaign, Feels like, I …

FEGAN: [Talks over] Yes.

WELLS: … came to visit Lilley on the hustings last term. And like I said to you then, I'll say it again now: it's not a campaign, it is a cam-pleasure.

FEGAN: [Laughs] Okay. Good on you, Minister. Always nice to chat. We'll chat to you again very soon.

WELLS: Have a great day.

FEGAN: There she is, the Federal Sports Minister, Anika Wells.

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