Co-chaired by the Hon Samantha Rowe MLC, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Culture and the Arts, Sport and Recreation, International Education, and Heritage and Mr Peter Rundle MLA, Shadow Minister for Education and Training, Sports and Recreation, Racing and Gaming, and Opposition Whip, the bi-partisan Parliamentary Friendship Group (PFG) promotes and champions the positive impact Olympic and Paralympic sports have on communities across Western Australia.

Held at Parliament House in Perth and emceed by 2012 London Olympian Jesse Phillips, the event welcomed over 100 guests.

Among them were members of the Western Australia Parliament, Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) President Ian Chesterman AM, Paralympics Australia President Alison Creagh AM CSC, along with Olympians, Paralympians and a wide range of sport, community, business and government representatives.

AOC President Ian Chesterman thanked the PFG for their continued support.

“The Olympic movement has the remarkable ability to bring people together and has the power to motivate all Australians to be their best selves.

“Last week's event highlighted the importance of bipartisan support in advancing the Olympic and Paralympic Movements, not only in Western Australia but across the nation.

“With 45 member sports, that support programs for every experience and capability level, there truly is an Olympic sport for every Australian and together we can build better, healthier and more resilient communities through sport.

“Thank you to Samantha Rowe and Peter Rundle for their leadership in Chairing the PFG and to all the participating members. I look forward to continuing to working together to maximise the positive outcomes Olympic and Paralympic sport can contribute to Western Australia as we continue along the green and gold runway towards Brisbane 2032,” Mr Chesterman concluded.

Alongside Western Australia, five additional Parliamentary Friendship Groups of the Olympic and Paralympic Movements are active in New South Wales, Tasmania, Victoria, Queensland, with the most recent PFG launching in South Australia earlier this month.

The PFG’s fundamental role is to connect our parliamentarians with the Olympic and Paralympic Movements in their respective electorates during their elected term and they work together towards key community and sporting outcomes, including:

• Encouraging participation in sport, promoting the wide-ranging benefits sport can bring to all residents;
• Promoting the fundamental principles and values of Olympism and Paralympism, particularly in the fields of sport, health and education;
• Promoting the practice of sport as a human right, without discrimination of any kind, with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play; and
• Recognising the heritage, culture and contribution of our nation’s First People, and to give practical support to the issue of Indigenous reconciliation through sport.