Ms VAGHELA (Western Metropolitan):
My adjournment matter is directed to the Minister for Community Sport, Minister for Multicultural Affairs, and Minister for Youth, the Honourable Ros Spence, MP. My adjournment relates to the minister’s portfolio responsibilities for community sport.
The Andrews Labor government has always considered Victoria’s multiculturalism to be a huge part of our identity as a state and one of our strongest assets. I am proud to see the Andrews Labor government continue to provide various and many ways in which to bolster our multicultural identity and underscore that here in Victoria we have a zero tolerance for racism and discrimination. This latest initiative surrounds boosting inclusion for multicultural communities in sport, through the recently announced CMSport program. Young people from multicultural communities have lower participation rates in sport, often due to negative experiences of racism and other barriers. This program will promote more inclusive organisations and encourage young people to try new experiences and learn new skills, while building a sense of belonging within their own communities. The Centre for Multicultural Youth, through CMSport, will provide training in inclusion and diversity for sporting associations, regional sports assemblies and local sporting clubs across the state. It will also assist with the development of mentoring opportunities for multicultural young people. The program will also deliver multicultural community forums and build partnerships to boost good practice across the sporting sector and increase inclusive opportunities for multicultural young people. This program presents a great opportunity to get our kids active and equip local sports clubs with the training and resources to foster an inclusive and friendly environment.
The government has pledged $300 000 to kickstart the program, which builds on the $450 000 earlier this year to support sporting organisations to deliver mentoring and skill-building activities to young African and Muslim Victorians.
The action I seek from the minister is to provide me with an update on how young multicultural constituents in my electorate of Western Metropolitan Region will be able to reap the benefits of this fantastic program.
Reply:
Ros Spence MP Minister for Community Sport (27 October 2021):
I thank the Member for her question and for her ongoing advocacy for young people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities in the Western Metropolitan Region.
As the Minister for the Multicultural Affairs, Community Sport and Youth portfolios, I am deeply aware of the importance of sport to multicultural communities, particularly for young people. Sport offers a way to learn new skills, forge friendships and build a sense of community.
As the Member for Western Metropolitan Region has noted, young people from multicultural communities have lower participation rates in sport, often due to negative experiences of racism and other barriers. We need to continue to encourage our sporting clubs and organisations to empower young people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds to get involved and to create safe and inclusive spaces.
The Andrews Labor Government has provided $300,000 to the Centre for Multicultural Youth to establish CMSport to start breaking down these barriers and move towards a more accessible, inclusive, and equitable sports sector. I was privileged to launch the initiative in September 2021.
CMSport will offer a range of training and consulting services specifically designed to support the sporting sector, including national sporting organisations, state sporting organisations and local clubs, and drive the participation of young people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
This will include developing and disseminating information and resources to build good practice in the sector. CMSport will also facilitate partnerships between the sporting sector, multicultural communities and young people to increase participation rates.
Sporting clubs and organisations who engage multicultural young people in a culturally responsive and sensitive way can make all the difference. CMSport will help facilitate this and provide new opportunities for culturally and linguistically diverse young people across Victoria, including in the Western Melbourne Region.
I look forward to keeping the Member for Western Metropolitan Region updated on the success of this important initiative.