Page 1240 - Week 05 - Tuesday, 11 May 1993
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Mr Cornwell: Like circuses.
MR DE DOMENICO: Like circuses. Thank you, Mr Cornwell. That is the only reason why we are standing here tonight debating this piece of legislation. Mr Berry, you still have not answered the question - - -
Mr Kaine: Mr Berry is going to feed them cake, starting next week.
MR DE DOMENICO: Sure. You still have not answered the question: How many people have been injured in kick boxing in the ACT over the past 10 years?
Mr Berry: Everyone that goes in a bout.
MR DE DOMENICO: "Everybody that goes into a bout", says Mr Berry. Do you know that? Have you spoken to the Kickboxing Association?
Mr Berry: Have you ever had the gloves on, Tony?
MR DE DOMENICO: Yes, I have, Mr Berry.
Mr Berry: That is without them kicking you.
MR DE DOMENICO: I have had the gloves on and I have even participated in kick boxing, for your information, Mr Berry - and I am still here.
Mr Berry: You were injured too, it seems.
MR DE DOMENICO: No. I might have lost some height, but nothing else. Mr Berry, your myopic view is why we are standing here tonight debating this Bill. No other State or Territory in this country bans kick boxing. Mr Moore made one of the best points. You have control of boxing. We applaud that. We think that is fantastic. It is about time that the ACT came into line with all the other States and Territories and other parts of the world and actually controlled boxing. But, if you are going to control boxing, why not also control kick boxing? Why ban kick boxing?
I was interested in Mr Connolly's comments. He said that because as Minister for police he goes around town on Saturday nights he is aware that some young people are using some of the things they see in kick boxing to be violent against other people. That was his logical explanation of why he wanted to ban kick boxing. I go around schools in Tuggeranong and other places from time to time and I see children - as I see my three sons sometimes - in a flitting sort of a way trying to punch each other. Under your logic that means that if you banned boxing there would no longer be any fisticuffs behind the shelter shed at schools. Of course that is absolute nonsense, but that is the sort of logic that you have used.
Mr Connolly, we know that your heart really was not there when you read your brief. One can tell from your face that you really do not mean what you are saying. I do not think anyone as intelligent as you from the right wing of the Labor Party, or your colleagues from the right wing, would really want to put yourselves out of step with every other Labor, Liberal or Callithumpian government around the world, for heaven's sake.
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