Page 2491 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 6 August 2013
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For some time now governments have accepted a responsibility to help preserve the integrity of sport. Matters related to sports integrity have in recent years been high on this government’s agenda, including when sports ministers met most recently in Launceston last month, when we endorsed the establishment of the Australian Sports Integrity Network.
The national policy on match fixing, supported by all states and territories in 2011, has provided the foundation for heightened collaboration between all jurisdictions to protect the integrity of sport. It is a shared responsibility to put in place measures to provide protection for all who participate in sport and recreation.
Critically, the national policy on match fixing has identified key match-fixing behaviours needing to be addressed through state and territory legislation. The Attorney-General will provide further detail of the criminal offences targeting these particular behaviours.
These new offences inserted into the Criminal Code 2002 by this bill ensure that all the identified match-fixing behaviours are legislated as criminal acts in the territory, capturing activities that are often talked about in the context of sporting competitions, such as “tanking” and access to “insider information”, which have become an unfortunate part of sporting vernacular.
The ACT government is committed to our obligations under this national policy. This bill fulfils this commitment and makes a clear statement of the value that this community, and indeed this government, places on upholding the integrity of sport. While development of the bill has been led by the Attorney-General and his directorate, its development has been achieved through a cooperative approach, including input from both Sport and Recreation Services in the Economic Development Directorate and the Gambling and Racing Commission. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have been involved in the development of this legislation.
This cooperation has also included the presentation of a sports integrity session to the local industry last month, in collaboration with the National Integrity of Sport Unit, updating the sector on issues pertinent to sports integrity and measures being undertaken nationally and locally to address this issue. This session included detail of our commitment to implementation of the national policy on match fixing through this piece of legislation.
It is important that sports, at both the community and the elite level, understand the evolving legal landscape in regard to integrity issues, and that criminal penalties can and do apply. Education for administrators, coaches, players and officials is key, and this recent session is only a starting point that will be further complemented by online education and broader national resources.
Sports integrity extends beyond match fixing alone though. The Australian Crime Commission’s report details other areas of grave concern—peptide use, drug trafficking, organised crime and dubious sport science practices, amongst others.
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