Page 1254 - Week 05 - Tuesday, 11 May 1993
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Madam Speaker, there is also an issue of civil rights encased in this debate. Why should not a person be allowed to compete in a sport that is currently legal? If a person fulfils the criteria for competing in a kick boxing contest, is aware of the dangers and abides by the rules laid down, why should their sport be singled out? As the figures presented earlier demonstrate, boxing produced more injuries. Rugby league, rugby union and Australian rules football all produce injury lists, but we are not asking that these sports be banned. There may be examples of banned sports that the Minister may wish to identify to back his case for the prohibition of kick boxing, and I will listen with interest to any justification he may be able to provide; but I state again that I have heard no real argument which leads me to believe that we would be better off banning kick boxing instead of regulating and controlling the sport.
Mr Deputy Speaker, in my speech at the in-principle stage of this debate I referred to New South Wales regulations which prescribe safety gear which is necessary to be worn before any competitor can enter a boxing ring. The regulations describe, among other things, the minimum weight of boxing gloves that are to be worn during a bout - at least 227 grams in weight, with the padding intact, and at least 114 grams of padding over the top part of the glove. Contestants are also allowed to have bandages under the gloves, up to 2.7 metres for each hand, and an additional two metres of adhesive tape. The gloves are inspected before the contest and in between rounds to ensure that they meet the guidelines, and they can be rejected. So what extensive protection does New South Wales demand for kick boxing? Foot pads and shin pads. All the other protective equipment, apart from pants for kick boxers and shorts for fist boxers, are common to both codes. As I have stated earlier, these foot and shin pads have not been thoroughly defined, as is the case with boxing gloves; so the practices which have developed have been deemed to have been unsatisfactory. (Extension of time granted)
The authorities interstate have informed me that because the regulations call for only foot pads and shin pads kick boxing promoters and competitors have developed the practice of using elasticised ankle braces and other such minimal cover. This goes against the spirit of the regulations, but has not been strongly opposed. Likewise, interstate authorities are under pressure to abolish this minimal protection and to allow the use of elbows and knees to strike an opponent. This has been described as the "mui Thai", or Thai boxing. Mr Deputy Speaker, industry pressure is just that - industry pressure. It does not mean that there is a need to meet those expectations or to allow practices which are overtly dangerous. There are regulations and, on my reading of the situation, these need toughening to bring the standards for protective wear in kick boxing up to those prescribed for fist boxing. I feel that the ACT can learn much from the New South Wales experience and ensure that the codes of practice developed under clause 16(e) of the Boxing Control Bill are much more prescriptive. Perhaps this could be the start of a burgeoning ACT manufacturing industry. But I am sure that adequate protective padding apparel is available; it is just not heavily used. We can do better than New South Wales has done in this instance.
Mr Deputy Speaker, it has been suggested to me that my image in the community could be tarnished by supporting such a violent sport as kick boxing. However, I feel that it is no more tarnished by this attempt to regulate an activity than it was when I supported moves to better regulate drug use and the prostitution industry, or when I sought to help the promotion of safe sex practices
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