Page 1260 - Week 05 - Tuesday, 11 May 1993
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For me to be consistent in my approach I would seek to support what he has set out to do in this Bill, which is to regulate and control and not to condone violence, and I do not condone violence at all. The report states:
Over the past century, the sport -
we are talking about boxing -
has changed somewhat in response to community concern about health risks.
You can apply that to kick boxing. It continues:
Boxers now wear gloves, and fight shorter bouts within specified weight divisions. Protective headgear is required for organised non-professional competition. However, in spite of these modifications, and the fact that boxing has provided an avenue of upward mobility for many Australians from disadvantaged backgrounds, most Committee members feel that because of the fundamental character of the sport, whose aim is to inflict harm on one's opponent, it cannot be condoned.
I think, Madam Speaker, that is agreed by all members here. It goes on:
As a result, several Committee members strongly favour a complete ban on boxing.
You could apply the same in regard to kick boxing. The report continues:
However, after lengthy discussion of this issue the majority of the Committee felt that it would not be appropriate to recommend an outright ban on boxing.
Madam Speaker, I think the same applies here with kick boxing. Perhaps the Minister would take the time to read this. I am sure that he can get a copy himself, but I would be prepared to lend him mine for a short while. If he did read it I think he would see that there is a very different approach to violence recommended by the National Committee on Violence than simply resolving the problems by banning. They seek solutions to the condoning of violence from - to use their term - the marketplace of ideas.
MR BERRY (Minister for Health, Minister for Industrial Relations and Minister for Sport) (10.01): I can see why Mr Moore is getting a bit sheepish on this subject. He tries to draw an inappropriate connection between the sport - - -
Mr Moore: I am trying to be consistent.
MR BERRY: You are not being consistent, because you are talking about boxing and a particular approach taken in that report. Boxing is not the subject of any interest in terms of banning it.
Mr Moore: It is called the Boxing Control Bill. You cannot even remember that.
MR BERRY: Mr Moore, I will repeat what I said: Boxing is not the subject of any interest in this Bill in relation to the banning of it. Do you understand that?
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