Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

If I may, in response to Senator Patrick and to his amendment: I want to be very clear that I very much appreciate the issues that motivate you to bring such an amendment to the chamber. These issues have been discussed recently within the parliament and more broadly. I understand why they are of significant and sincere concern. But, in terms of the bill, they do go beyond the scope and the intention of the bill. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, this is about regulating state and territory arrangements with foreign governments and related entities and there is not a direct line of government relationship between the Australian Olympic Committee and the International Olympic Committee and state and territory governments and foreign entities. As non-government organisations, they're not regulated by this bill.

I would also say that the Olympic Charter, which so far has broadly stood the test of time, provides that organisations within the Olympic movement shall apply political neutrality. I do think it's important to respect that political neutrality. In Australia the mechanism that goes to participation in the Olympic Games rests with the Australian Olympic Committee. They're responsible for funding and selecting the Australian team and sending them to the Olympic Games no matter where they are held.

We have a range of avenues available to us to advocate on human rights questions. I think a fair-minded observer would say that this government has advocated on those issues with conviction and commitment in multiple fora international and domestically and directly with China. We have participated and supported, from time to time, resolution statements in relation to precisely the issues that you have raised as matters of concern in your remarks today and previously in public statements. We continue to do so because advocacy on human rights is an important role for Australia and is something we took very, very seriously during our term as a member of the Human Rights Council. Whether it is in the UN General Assembly or in the Human Rights Council or other appropriate fora, that is the approach we have taken.

In terms of attendance at international sporting events such as the Olympic Games, when I was briefly in Japan in October I was particularly struck by the extraordinary engagement of the entire nation—as we saw in Australia 20 years ago—in the prospective holding of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. The Olympic Games are a very, very big deal for any country that is a host. We work closely with community organisations and with non-government organisations—they include sporting organisations. When there are concerns, from a foreign policy or security perspective, with Australian sporting teams attending international events, that is always something government can take up with the relevant sporting organisation. I recall that many years ago, in 2007, the then Prime Minister Howard and one of my distinguished predecessors—a fine South Australian—the then foreign minister Alexander Downer directed the cancellation of the Australian cricket team's tour of Zimbabwe. I'm sure you recall that too. So governments can and will engage on such matters, where it is necessary, to protect Australia's interests. That is really the point to come to, Senator Patrick, because I do understand what you seek to have government do and what you seek to have government have the capacity to do. I don't agree that the specific amendment is necessary for this to occur and, as I said at the beginning of my remarks, it goes beyond the confines of the bill, in terms of its application to state and territory government arrangements with foreign governments and related entities.