EMBARGOED AGAINST ELIVERY CHEC'K AGAINST DELIVERY
PRIME MINISTER
STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER ON THE OCCASION OF LAUNCHING
OF PRIMARY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM 23 JANUARY 1984
THE GOVERNMENT'S OBJECTIVES IN SPORT ARE TWOFOLD;
TO PROMOTE EXCELLENCE AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS IN A
NUMBER OF SPORTS, AND TO ENCOURAGE ACTIVE PARTICIPATION
IN SPORT AMONG ALL SECTIONS OF THE AUSTRALIAN COMMUNITY.
THESE OBJECTIVES ARE MUTUALLY REINFORCING: IF THE
AUSTRALIAN PUBLIC IN GENERAL, AND THE YOUTH OF
AUSTRALIA IN PARTICULAR, CAN TAKE JUSTIFICABLE PRIDE
IN THE PERFORMANCE AND CONDUCT OF OUR TOP SPORTSMEN
AND SPORTSWOMEN, THEY ARE MORE LIKELY THEMSELVES TO
SEE VALUE IN-PLAYING SPORT, AND IF ALL AUSTRALIANS
CAN BE ENCOURAGED TO DO THIS, WHETHER IT BE
COMPETITIVE OR NON-COMPETITIVE, WE WILL BE A HEALTHIER
NATION FOR IT.
AS A SPORT CRICKET HAS MUCH TO OFFER YOUNG PEOPLE.
IT HELPS TO DEVELOP CO-ORDINATION AT AN EARLY STAGE,
PARTICULARLY OF HAND AND EYE, AND IT IS ALSO A TEAM
SPORT, SO INTRODUCING YOUNG PEOPLE AT AN EARLY STAGE
TO THE DISCIPLINE REQUIRED IN CO-OPERATIVE EFFORT.
IT IS BOTH FOR THESE REASONS, AND BECAUSE I PERSONALLY
HAVE DERIVED ENORMOUS PLEASURE FROM PARTICIPATING IN
AND WATCHING CRICKET SINCE MY OWN YOUTH, THAT I AM
DELIGHTED BY THE ANNOUNCEMENT TODAY OF THE PRIMARY
DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.
IT IS A PROGRAM THAT WILL GIVE AUSTRALIAN BOYS AND
GIRLS A CHANCE TO ENJOY THEMSELVES, GAIN HEALTHY
RECREATION, AND HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN HOW
TO PLAY CRICKET,
IT WILL ALSO CONTRIBUTE SIGNIFICANTLY TO ENSURING
THAT CRICKET REMAINS AN IMPORTANT SPORT IN SCHOOLS,
AND THE ENJOYMENT ASSOCIATED WITH THE GAME DOES NOT
BECOME THE EXCLUSIVE PRESERVE OF THE " BIGGEST AND BEST",
AND I AM PARTICULARLY PLEASED THAT A NUMBER OF
PAST AND PRESENT AUSTRALIAN ( AND ENGLISH) TEST
CRICKETING GREATS ARE PRESENT TODAY FOR THE
LAUNCHING OF THE PROGRAM, THUS PROVIDING
ADDITIONAL INSPIRATION AND INCENTIVE IF IT
IS NEEDED FOR YOUNG AUSTRALIAN CRICKET PLAYERS
IN PARTICULAR WE HAVE FOUR AUSTRALIAN
CAPTAINS IN RICHIE BENAUD, IAN CHAPPELL,
GREG CHAPPELL AND PRESENT SKIPPER KIM HUGHES,
AND THE GREATEST FAST BOWLER OF ALL TIME IN
DENNIS LILLEE AND ONE OF THE FASTEST EVER
BOWLERS IN FRANK TYSON
THE LEADERSHIP OF THESE FOUR CAPTAINS HAS
CONTRIBUTED SIGNIFICANTLY TO AUSTRALIA'S
OUTSTANDING RECORD AS A CRICKET NATION FOR
MUCH OF THE LAST TWO DECADES
DURING THAT PERIOD THE INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCES
OF RICHIE BENAUD, IAN CHAPPELL, GREG CHAPPELL,
KIM HUGHES AND DENNIS LILLEE HAVE ALSO
CONTRIBUTED SIGNIFICANTLY TO THAT OUTCOME,
AS WELL AS SUBSTANTIALLY REWRITING THE RECORD
BOOKS AND I TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO PAY TRIBUTE TO
THE CONTRIBUTION THEY HAVE MADE TO AUSTRALIAN
CRICKET ( A CONTRIBUTION WHICH I TRUST WILL BE
SUSTAINED IN THREE CASES WHEN THEY TAKE THE
FIELD TOMORROW FOR THE PRIME MINISTER'S XI),
IT IS AUSTRALIAN SPORTSMEN AND SPORTSWOMEN SUCH AS
THOSE PRESENT FOR THIS LAUNCHING THAT HAVE GIVEN
AUSTRALIA THE WORLD REPUTATION IT HAS AS A SPORTING
NATION. IT IS EQUALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE STRIVE TO
GIVE OUR YOUTH EVERY OPPPORTUNITY TO ENJOY HEALTHY
RECREATION. " KANGA CRICKET" AS THE PROGRAM WILL BE CALLED IS A
MOST IMAGINATIVE AND PROGRESSIVE STEP TOWARDS
ACHIEVING THIS OBJECTIVE, AND I CONGRATULATE
AUSTRALIAN CRICKET BOARD CHAIRMAN, MR FRED BENNETT
AND HIS ADMINISTRATORS ON FORMULATING THE PROGRAM) AND
MR MALCOLM VAWSER ON THE AUSTRALIAN DAIRY CORPORATION'S
INVOLVEMENT, ,/ 4
4,
AND I TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SOME OBSERVATIONS
THAT I HAVE DEVELOPED MORE GENERALLY IN REGARD TO
GOVERNMENT SUPPORT FOR SPORT IN A SMALLER DEMOCRATIC
NATION SUCH AS AUSTRALIA, FIRST, WE FEEL THAT THE
OBLIGATIONS AND BENEFITS SHOULD BE SHARED EQUITABLY WITH
THE PRIVATE SECTOR, AS IS THE CASE WITH OTHER ENDEAVOURS
IN OUR SOCIETY, SECOND, WE DO NOT WISH TO CONCENTRATE
ALL OUR RESOURCES ON ELITE SPORTSMEN AND SPORTSWOMEN,
AND RATHER TO ENSURE THAT SOME OF THESE FLOW THROUGH
TO ALL MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY,
THE CO-OPERATIVE EFFORTS OF THE AUSTRALIAN CRICKET
BOARD, THE AUSTRALIAN DAIRY CORPORATION AND THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WITH THE PRIMARY DEVELOPMENT
PROGRAM ARE INDICATIVE OF WHAT CAN BE ACHIEVED
WITHIN SUCH A FRAMEWORK,
GOOD LUCK TO " KANGA CRICKET" IN THE YEARS AHEAD,