Page 1380 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 11 May 1994
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I would say only that, while this was an important issue in 1990, it is probably a more important issue now - not so much from the public health perspective, although that is obviously important, but from the perspective of our international reputation in terms of sport and abuse of drugs in sport. Since the Ministerial Council on Drug Strategy meeting in 1990, Sydney has been successful in obtaining the Olympic Games for the year 2000 - a significant achievement of which all Australians are proud. We, as Australians, are proud that we have a very good reputation for controlling the abuse of drugs in sport. In this city we have the Sports Drug Agency, which is providing assistance to nations around the world that are developing a sports drug strategy. We host the Australian Institute of Sport - again an organisation that has taken a strong role in the fight against drugs in sport.
It has been argued - and I saw a lot of newspaper and television comment pieces as we led up to the decision on Sydney's bid for the games - that Australia's reputation as amongst the cleanest in the world and for taking the fight against drugs in sport seriously may have played no small part in convincing uncommitted delegates that Australia had a legitimate claim to host the Olympic Games. It is a very important reputation that Australia has built and, for that reason, while this was important in 1990 it is even more important in 1994. The package, as presented, with the Bill moved by Mrs Carnell as a private member and the Government amendments I am moving today, will close that circle and provide legislation that meets the national standards, which are so important. I present a supplementary explanatory memorandum for my amendments.
MR MOORE (10.41): Madam Speaker, these two amendments facilitate an arrangement in relation to the later amendments Mr Connolly will move. His amendment No. 3 will then fit into clauses 5 and 6 of the Bill, and I am inclined to address that part of the Bill when we get to those amendments. I have one small concern that, should the amendment by Mr Connolly and my amendment to insert a new clause 47ZB be carried, we will have a problem about the numbering. However, the Clerk can clarify that afterwards, if necessary. I have some real concerns about the amendments put up by Mr Connolly - not so much in regard to these two clauses, but in regard to the ramifications of the final clauses. So, to a certain extent I will address my comments to those as well as to these amendments.
Mrs Carnell put the notion that we need to ensure that trafficking in this area stops, that prescriptions can be written and the use of illicit drugs controlled, and that the police have the power to do so by being able to book people for possession. The amendment circulated by Mr Connolly relating to committing an offence in the use of anabolic steroids - I do not know whether this was intended, or whether it has been recognised by the Liberals - includes the words, "administer to himself, herself or another person". That is individual use by a person who may think that in some way this is going to make their body beautiful, and certainly some people believe that and become involved in the use of steroids in that way.
I want at this point to distinguish between that and the use of steroids in sport, which I believe we are all agreed is simply cheating. If somebody agrees to play a sport, they do it by the rules. The recommendations of the national committee on drugs in sport are very clearly to stop people cheating and using steroids as part of a method of cheating.
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