Raff Ciccone (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Minister. A grateful nation owes much to our mighty XI—and Steve Smith's trusty willow—who have managed to secure the Ashes in England for the first time since Steve Waugh captained the squad back in 2001.

The Intergenerational review of Australian sport didn't just analyse sport participation; it also reported on sport's economic contribution and concluded that it was equivalent to around two to three per cent of GDP. The sector employs more than 220,000 people and attracts roughly 1.8 million volunteers each year, making it Australia's largest volunteer destination. On Monday night here at Parliament House, at Surf Life Saving Australia's quarterly update, President Graham Ford reminded us and all the distinguished guests who were in attendance that surf lifesaving is the biggest volunteer activity in Australia. What a great example it is of something that is enjoyed as a sport and recreational activity also providing an invaluable contribution to our rich history.

The Intergenerational review of Australian sport also confirmed what we all know: that sport can make a major contribution not just to our health but also to our wellbeing. It found that participation by children created foundations for an active, healthy lifestyle, combating obesity and physical inactivity. It also found that sport improves outcomes in core academic fields, promotes knowledge retention and teaches valuable life skills. It found that the network of clubs and competitions brings people together like few sectors can. It is a rich source of social capital and our international success builds national pride and reinforces Australia's international reputation for excellence in an increasingly competitive global marketplace. Together, these benefits result in every dollar spent in sport returning $7 of total benefits to Australia.

It's important to highlight again the valuable role that sport plays in our society. The reason for highlighting sport's value is to explain why the integrity of sport is worth protecting. Every time we hear or read a story about doping or match fixing in sport, it damages sport's reputation and devalues it. Thankfully, while there will always be exceptions, Australia has been proactive in deploying measures to protect against these and other threats to the integrity of sport here in Australia. As Senator Farrell mentioned the other night, the threats evolve, and that means that protective measures must also evolve. The National Sports Tribunal is just one part of a suite of measures that will form the government's response to the 52 recommendations of the Wood review. To paraphrase, the review states that, while larger sports have in-house tribunals staffed with experienced lawyers and experts with backgrounds in sports matters, many smaller sports just don't have the resources or capacity to run this sort of in-house integrity unit or dispute resolution body. The National Sports Tribunal, as proposed in the Wood review recommendations and in these bills, would provide those sports with a timely and cost-effective resolution process. The tribunal would provide an expert central hearing body that can supplement the work of current sports internal dispute resolution arrangements and would provide a forum for the smaller sports that just don't have the resources to run their own.

These bills seek to establish a tribunal that will have access to a panel of experts who are experienced in sports law or have backgrounds that qualify them, through practical experience, to determine sporting issues. There are three divisions proposed: antidoping, general and appeals. According to the review report, the model proposed for the tribunal is based on experience of dispute resolution mechanisms in other countries, such as Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, with modifications that the review panel considered appropriate for Australia. Advantages of the model include the conferral of powers to compel evidence from third parties, who may not be subject to contractual obligations to cooperate with inquiries or hearings. That could be an important power if we continue to hear about the so-called facilitators in sports doping cases. As I mentioned last night, there is a need for measures to strengthen Australia's sport integrity arrangements. That is something Labor has recognised and will support the government on. The establishment of the National Sports Tribunal through these bills is one step forward to also strengthening Australia's defences to any and all threats to the integrity of our sports. Can I also add that, as Senator Farrell pointed out in his speech the other day, Labor will continue to work with the government on the responses that put these recommendations together as part of the Wood review. We also look forward to working with the government on this matter in the near future.