Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

On the amendment, I've ceded to others to go first. I'll just indicate the opposition's position, which I've indicated to Senator Patrick. The amendment seeks to bring the Olympic movement within the operation of the bill and seeks to deal with arrangements between the AOC and foreign entities, including foreign Olympic bodies, which include the IOC—the International Olympic Committee—and other national Olympic committees in countries other than Australia. Each of these, obviously, is a foreign entity. I do recognise the concerns that Senator Patrick has held about the Olympic Winter Games that sit behind the amendment are longstanding. The advice I've received from the Australian Olympic Committee is that subjecting it to this legislation would violate its autonomy under the Olympic Charter. So, for that reason and others, the opposition is not minded to support Senator Patrick's amendment.