House debates

Wednesday, 4 December 2019

Bills

Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority Amendment (Enhancing Australia's Anti-Doping Capability) Bill 2019; Third Reading

12:07 pm

Photo of David LittleproudDavid Littleproud (Maranoa, National Party, Minister for Water Resources, Drought, Rural Finance, Natural Disaster and Emergency Management) Share this | | Hansard source

I seek leave of the House to move the third reading immediately.

Leave not granted.

I move:

That so much of the standing orders be suspended as would prevent the motion for the third reading being moved without delay.

12:08 pm

Photo of Mr Tony BurkeMr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Arts) Share this | | Hansard source

In speaking to the motion, those opposite need to consider: every time they get the opportunity to shut down members on this side, they take it. Every time the Leader of the Opposition stands up—

Photo of David LittleproudDavid Littleproud (Maranoa, National Party, Minister for Water Resources, Drought, Rural Finance, Natural Disaster and Emergency Management) Share this | | Hansard source

I move:

That the member be no longer be heard.

Photo of Tony SmithTony Smith (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

The question is that the Manager of Opposition Business be no further heard.

12:14 pm

Photo of Tony SmithTony Smith (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

The question is that the motion moved by the minister be agreed to.

12:15 pm

Photo of Chris BowenChris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Health) Share this | | Hansard source

This is a government so afraid of what the Leader of the Opposition might have to say—

Photo of David LittleproudDavid Littleproud (Maranoa, National Party, Minister for Water Resources, Drought, Rural Finance, Natural Disaster and Emergency Management) Share this | | Hansard source

I move:

That the member be no longer heard.

Photo of Tony SmithTony Smith (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

The question is that the member for McMahon be no further heard.

12:17 pm

Photo of Tony SmithTony Smith (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

The question is that the motion moved by the minister be agreed to.

Photo of Pat ConroyPat Conroy (Shortland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | | Hansard source

They are so scared of Albo that they won't give him 10 minutes!

Photo of David LittleproudDavid Littleproud (Maranoa, National Party, Minister for Water Resources, Drought, Rural Finance, Natural Disaster and Emergency Management) Share this | | Hansard source

I move:

That the member be no longer heard.

Photo of Tony SmithTony Smith (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

The question is that the member for Shortland be no further heard.

The question is that the motion moved by the minister be agreed to.

Photo of Ms Catherine KingMs Catherine King (Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development) Share this | | Hansard source

The Prime Minister wants to silence everybody.

Photo of Tony SmithTony Smith (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

The member for Ballarat will resume her seat. The minister.

12:20 pm

Photo of David LittleproudDavid Littleproud (Maranoa, National Party, Minister for Water Resources, Drought, Rural Finance, Natural Disaster and Emergency Management) Share this | | Hansard source

I move:

That the motion be put.

Photo of Tony SmithTony Smith (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

The question is that the motion be put. Members must remain in their seats unless they're changing their vote or did not vote in the previous division, in which case they must report to the tellers.

The question now is that this bill be read a third time.

Photo of Mr Tony BurkeMr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for the Arts) Share this | | Hansard source

The third reading has not been moved, because the minister's motion has not been put.

Photo of Tony SmithTony Smith (Speaker) Share this | | Hansard source

This is what happens when we have successive division upon successive division. The question is that the motion moved by the minister be agreed to.

12:25 pm

Photo of David LittleproudDavid Littleproud (Maranoa, National Party, Minister for Water Resources, Drought, Rural Finance, Natural Disaster and Emergency Management) Share this | | Hansard source

I move:

That the bill be now read a third time.

Photo of Pat ConroyPat Conroy (Shortland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | | Hansard source

I can confirm that Labor will be supporting the third reading of the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority Amendment (Enhancing Australia’s Anti-Doping Capability) Bill 2019, which is a very important outcome of the Wood review into antidoping. But let's be clear about what just happened here. What happened here is that those opposite have attempted to shut down parliament because they're scared of the Leader of the Opposition.

If we're talking about antidoping, those on the other side are truly dopes. They are truly dopes. This is an important piece of legislation that comes out of the Wood review and gives ASADA important powers into confirming the antidoping regime in this country. It arose out of some very important sporting events of the last decade. Who can forget the scandals in the Manly and Essendon football clubs, where we saw vile accusations around antidoping? This is an important legislative initiative, and that is why Labor is supporting it.

This bill complements the second bill that we'll be discussing around enhancing integrity in Australia, and it's very important that we have confidence in the sporting regime in this country. The Wood review, led by Justice Wood, was a seminal moment in the sports regime in this country. It's very important that it has bipartisan commitment. Recommendation 18 from the Wood review went to many matters. Most importantly, it was about providing ASADA with the relevant powers to really get to the nub of those sports scandals. There were accusations around calf blood with Manly and Essendon, and it's very important we get to the nub of those matters.

Our second reading amendment, which, sadly, we lost the vote on, stated:

"whilst not declining to give the bill a second reading, the House notes that the Government’s revolving door of sports ministers—no less than five (plus a briefly acting minister) in just six years—have made ad hoc, one-off and non-ongoing funding announcements that have made it extremely difficult for national sports organisations, such as the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority, to make detailed plans beyond the constraints of a single budget cycle, including for the enhancement of their own integrity capabilities"

So this bill seeks to strengthen Australia's capability to prevent, detect and deal with the issue of doping in sport.

Confidence in the integrity of sport is vital and it leads us, if it fails, to question whether sporting events we love to watch are really being contested on a level playing field. In government, Labor recognised the need to upgrade and update Australia's antidoping regime to keep up with new and evolving risks. In 2012, the federal Labor government established the National Integrity of Sport Unit and in 2013 we passed legislation to strengthen the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority's powers. So this bill is a continuation of those important legislative reforms.

But let's be clear about what's occurred over the last hour. What's occurred over this last hour is the direct price being paid because those opposite want to shut down parliament. They wouldn't let the Leader of the Opposition speak on the very important matter of wages. This is the price that's being paid and, in fact—

Photo of David LittleproudDavid Littleproud (Maranoa, National Party, Minister for Water Resources, Drought, Rural Finance, Natural Disaster and Emergency Management) Share this | | Hansard source

On a point of order: I think the honourable member is straying from the topic of the bill.

Photo of Kevin AndrewsKevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party) Share this | | Hansard source

I will call the member for Shortland, but please be relevant.

Photo of Pat ConroyPat Conroy (Shortland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | | Hansard source

I was reflecting on broad tendencies around doping in the country, particularly the dopes on the other side.

Photo of Kevin AndrewsKevin Andrews (Menzies, Liberal Party) Share this | | Hansard source

I ask the member to withdraw—

Photo of Pat ConroyPat Conroy (Shortland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | | Hansard source

It was a collective application of 'dope'. I didn't call any individual over there a dope, so I don't think there is anything to withdraw. The standing orders make it very clear that it is individual reflections that are against the standing orders. I was reflecting on a collective of the coalition, but, to assist parliament, I will withdraw it, because I'm a true gentleman!

The important nature of this bill is that it goes to the Wood review, which had 52 recommendations. This pertains to recommendation No. 18, which I was talking about, which is that ASADA's regulatory role and engagement with sports in relation to the audit and enforcement of sports compliance with antidoping rules and approved policies be enhanced by establishing regulatory compliance powers exercisable by a proposed NSIC in collaboration with, and at the request of, the ASADA CEO. This bill, to some extent, seeks to implement that recommendation. However, I note the review also recommends retaining ASADA as Australia's national antidoping organisation, whereas the government has decided to bring antidoping operations under the umbrella of a new agency, Sport Integrity Australia. That agency will be established by the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority Amendment (Sport Integrity Australia) Bill 2019, which will be debated later, it's in response to another recommendation of the Wood review, which calls for the establishment of a national sports integrity commission. In conclusion, Labor is opposed to doping in sport, opposed to doping in politics and opposed to the dopes on the other side of this chamber. I support the passage of the bill.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a third time.