Thursday, 22 June 2023

Australian Open

Bev McARTHUR (Western Victoria) (17:43): (318) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events and concerns the Australian Open, which has been so heavily supported by Victorian taxpayers through the $1 billion spent on Melbourne Park since 2014 and the $140 million government loan which salvaged the competition in 2021, amongst many other annual grants and in-kind support. Minister, Australian Open tournament director and Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley has made clear that he believes transgender athletes should be allowed to compete in the women’s competition at the open. In fact he says his organisation is not just supportive of it but is ‘trying to influence the decision’ of the Women’s Tennis Association and the International Tennis Federation. I personally cannot begin to accept this. Mr Tiley says:

… any decision made will need to be aligned with our core values.

But what are those core values? Surely women’s sport is there precisely to allow fair and safe competition for female athletes. Isn’t that a core value? Instead, Tennis Australia says anyone:

… should be able to nominate their gender identity at the time of nomination for any upcoming competition ‍…

or tournament. How have we got to this point? This is a sport where it is undeniable that male players have an enormous advantage over female players, even when they have reduced testosterone levels at the point of competition.

Tennis Australia obviously thinks it is far more important to talk about diversity and inclusion than to ensure fairness for female athletes. This is not a cultural event or a political think tank, it is a top-flight sporting event. Surely fairness in competition should be their overriding value. Other sporting bodies do appreciate this. It has been reassuring to note that world athletics, world rugby and world aquatics have all confirmed their support for the principle – not as reactionary outliers, but in defence of fairness, and in line, I would argue, with the expectations of the community, who bear absolutely no ill will towards transgender people but recognise that sporting fairness and, in some cases, safety mean that distinctions must be retained in many sporting activities and competitions. So the action I seek, Minister, is a statement that you support the rights of female tennis players to compete fairly at the Australian Open, which we all, as Victorian taxpayers, so heavily subsidise.