Until recently the Australian Institute of Sport was leading the world in the development of tests that could be used to successfully expose blood doping cheats.
In an inexplicable and totally unjustified move however, the Howard Government placed a ban on this world leading research being conducted, despite the fact that the test developed by AIS scientists was accepted by the IOC for use at the Sydney Olympics.
In answer to questions asked at Senate Estimates, it was confirmed that in April 2001 the Minister for Sport issued a directive that the AIS confine its participation in anti-doping research to intellectual property. In essence this meant that the AIS’s world leading scientists could contribute to the scientific design of research studies and assist in the evaluation of research findings, but could not conduct any anti-doping research on site at the AIS.
Not surprisingly five of the scientists involved in this cutting edge research have left the AIS after becoming disillusioned as a result of the Government’s ban.
The responsibility for conducting research into sports-doping was placed in the hands of the Australian Sports Drug Testing laboratory who as yet have shown no signs that they have completed, or are in fact even conducting, any extensive and world leading research into the development of blood doping detection tests.
As a result Australia has effectively been relegated to a position of passenger rather than pilot in the fight against drugs in sport.
While the Government continues to talk-up their support for their Tough on Drugs in Sport Policy, their actions have spoken much louder than their words. It is totally incomprehensible to think that the Howard Government is genuine about the fight against drugs in sport, when they are banning the very research that will win the battle.
Rather than help get tough on drug cheats, Minister Kemp has got tough on the people who are fighting to expose them.
This, and related issues will be aired on the ABC’s Four Corners program tonight.
Contact: Kate Roffey – (02) 6277 3334 or 0411 969 364
