Page 1234 - Week 05 - Tuesday, 11 May 1993
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Mr Berry: Michael Moore is going to promote violence out in the community. That is unusual for you.
MR CORNWELL: Is it any wonder that people involved even in kick boxing are concerned about this? I quote from the Canberra Times of 1 April:
"Kickboxing is contested in 37 countries, it has a history which dates back to 776BC, there have been no recorded deaths in the sport anywhere in the world in the past 37 years - which is more than can be said about netball or golf" -
or, I might add, cricket -
"for instance - and it has a much lower injury rate than sports such as league, rugby or Australian football."
These were the statistics and opinions presented yesterday by World Kickboxing Association representative Bob Jones to representatives of the ACT Minister for Sport, Wayne Berry.
They were not presented to Mr Berry himself, but to his representatives. The Canberra Times went on to say:
"I can't work out why the Government has scapegoated kickboxing," said Jones, who spent three years working with the Victorian Government to develop kickboxing legislation in that state.
"What this politician [Berry] has done in Canberra is an embarrassment to the world of kickboxing -
and, I might add, an embarrassment to the people of the ACT. The article went on:
Jones said the foreshadowed banning of the sport in the ACT was the first problem he had had in 17 years of involvement.
This is the man who is the World Kickboxing Association representative here in Australia. This is the first problem that he has had in 17 years of involvement in the sport. The article continued:
There were 112 kickboxing contests in Australia last year with 10 fights per night, totalling 1120 bouts and 2240 competitors. Jones said a broken leg in November last year was the worst injury that occurred in 1120 bouts.
Mr Berry: What about the brain damage?
MR CORNWELL: I think that is a reasonable approach to take on this matter. We are listening to what the experts are saying on this, Mr Berry. As colleagues have said before, we have not yet had a proper explanation from you as to why you wish to ban kick boxing. You have said, of course, that - - -
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