Page 1257 - Week 05 - Tuesday, 11 May 1993
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MR BERRY (Minister for Health, Minister for Industrial Relations and Minister for Sport) (9.46): Mr Deputy Speaker, I am very pleased to see that Mr Moore has not again tried to defend his position by using lawn bowls as an injury prone sport that he could compare with kick boxing. It is pleasing to see. He will not convince people out there that he is in any way concerned about violence in the community, and that is the end of the matter. What I find surprising is the refusal of people opposite and to my left here to accept that boxing is a sport where people belt each other senseless. That is the aim of the sport.
Mr Kaine: Well, why don't you ban it?
MR BERRY: Mr Kaine asks, "Why don't you ban it?". If it were not an Olympic and Commonwealth Games sport it would be in a very different position than it is now right across Australia, including here. Boxing, if it were not an Olympic sport, would not be accepted across the community, because of the violence of the sport. The aim is to bash people's heads until they are senseless and can no longer stand up. When they fall on the floor they go down for the count.
Ms Follett: And the other one wins.
MR BERRY: And the other one wins. That is what boxing is about. If it were not for the fact - I repeat again - that it is an Olympic sport and a Commonwealth Games sport it would be gone, in my view. It is no longer acceptable; it is declining in popularity, and so it should.
Kick boxing has no similar status. It is not a Commonwealth Games sport; it is not an Olympic sport. I think that explains the very distinct differences between the two sports. When it comes to its effect on the community it is very clearly a promotion of violence. It is very clearly a promotion of violence, as is boxing, but it has a little appendage. Not only can you punch them around the head with eight- or 10-ounce gloves, to use the old measure; you can also rip the boot in as well. In Australia it has to be above the waist, but in other countries it extends to other areas of the body. There can be a bit of grappling and so on and so forth. So kick boxing is an extension on the violence which is committed against participants by each other. If you do not think that boxing generally promotes violence in the community you are kidding yourself, and if you do not think that kick boxing adds another dimension to that violence you are kidding yourself. The community out there will recognise you for it, I trust.
One of the good things with all of this has been that the move to prohibit kick boxing competitions in the Australian Capital Territory at least has diverted the attention of those opposite from the main thrust of the Bill. We did not see too much grandstanding on that score, so I am thankful for that.
Mr De Domenico: No, we would not, because we said that the rest of it was good legislation.
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