Kate Ellis (Adelaide, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Youth and Sport) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Franklin for the question. In answering the question I acknowledge from the outset that both sides of this House have worked hard for a very long period of time to ensure that Australia is at the forefront of the battle against doping in sport. I think that we as a nation can be very proud of where we stand in this regard. We know that it is important that sport is fair and that it is clean and drug free, and of course we need sport to be a healthy activity, one that makes a positive contribution in our community, one that we want to encourage our children to take part in, not one that becomes a race between those who can get the best access and who can best disguise performance-enhancing drugs. As a very passionate sporting country we need to ensure that the integrity of sport is maintained. Whether through ASDA, or now ASADA, Australia has worked to pursue this at home, and I particularly know that one of the former ministers for sport, Rod Kemp, was very passionate about this issue.

We have also provided leadership at an international level, most notably of course with the election of the President of the World Anti-Doping Agency, WADA, John Fahey, someone that I know that many members opposite are very proud of. Indeed all Australians should be very proud of the fine job that he is doing in that role.

Earlier this week I attended meetings of WADA in Montreal and I can advise the House on developments in terms of both Australia’s representation on this global body and, indeed, new steps which have been adopted in order to tighten the net on drug cheats. Mr Speaker, whilst you would know that I am certainly not one for shameless self-promotion, I can inform the House that Australia will now have a seat on the WADA executive committee from 1 January 2009.

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