Page 1250 - Week 05 - Tuesday, 11 May 1993
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Mr Cornwell: If I take my partner out - - -
MADAM SPEAKER: Order! The Minister has had not one minute's silence for his entire speech. Could we give him just one for the end of it.
Mr Humphries: Okay, just one.
Mr Kaine: That is asking a bit much, Madam Speaker.
MADAM SPEAKER: Order!
MR BERRY: Beat them to a senseless mess. That is the aim of the game. Drive them to their knees. You people support that. You support its presentation to the community as a violent sport, and you support your kids being exposed to it.
Mr De Domenico: No.
MR BERRY: Well, your kids are going to be exposed to it.
Mr De Domenico: Why?
MR BERRY: Your kids are going to be exposed to it. There was some talk about the football codes. There is a total registration throughout Australia in excess of one million people. Again, the bladder is taken from one end of the paddock to the other. You people do not seem to understand, or want to understand, the difference. Of course, there will be injuries in all sports, and they are to be avoided at all costs. Unfortunately, people will die where there is such a large involvement. Look at lawn bowls. Mr Moore stupidly used lawn bowls as an example. What a stupid example! What a stupid example to try to cover up his support for the depiction of a violent sport. What a stupid suggestion! That is just a bit much.
Have members who wish to legitimise kick boxing seen the television clips? I spoke about one of those this afternoon. It shows men and women - it would make you weep - beating each other senseless; young women were punching and kicking each other with blood streaming down their faces. That is the sort of thing that you want people in the ACT to see; the young people whom you will complain about when there is violence out there in the streets as a result of their exposure to that sort of thing. You will complain about it, as you always have. You will whinge about there not being enough police and not one of you will do anything to stop it. We will win on this one, 9-8. We will be the winners and you will be shown up for what you are.
The Bill is quite specific in that it makes it an offence to engage in a boxing contest where the feet or legs are used to deliver blows. It does not ban the activity. Kick boxing can still be taught as a self-defence mechanism or a fitness activity.
Mr Kaine: Why stop at 9-8 if it is going to win out in the community?
MR BERRY: We will win out there. That is what I was saying, Mr Kaine; we will win out there because the people of the ACT do not support the extension of violence into our community. They want it stopped. That is what this Bill sets out to do. People can learn it as a self-defence activity in gymnasiums and other places, but this Bill sets out to stop organised events which promote the sport and
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