7 June 2001 - Media Release

Youth Roundtable blows-out and is no substitute for AYPAC

In answer to Questions on Notice from Senator Lundy, Shadow Minister for Youth Affairs, it was revealed that the Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs outlaid $469,344 in 2000 on the National Youth Roundtable, compared to $276,000 in 1999. The projected costings for the Roundtable project in 2000-2001 are $541,128.

“Minister Kemp silenced the national youth peak, AYPAC, in 1998 for being critical of Coalition policy affecting young Australians,” Senator Lundy said. “He has replaced it with a more manageable, more expensive process whereby a select group of 50 young people meet in Canberra only twice a year.

“But it has been revealed the Youth Roundtable costs have almost doubled, and now exceed the level of funding provided previously to the youth peak by almost $100,000.

“The Youth Roundtable has strengths as a forum for bringing young people together to discuss issues of concern to them and strategies for addressing these concerns. Unfortunately, the Minister has demonstrated little commitment to pursuing these ideas through to implementation.

Examples from Senate Estimates hearings today revealed the Minister has:

“The Minister commented in his opening speech to the 2001 Roundtable earlier this year that if only one good idea is picked up out of the roundtable process, then the Roundtable is to be considered a success. Frankly this isn’t good enough,” Senator Lundy said.

“The Youth Roundtable is not an effective alternative for a nationally representative youth sector peak body. It is a shame the Coalition pretended it is in a shallow attempt to deflect political criticism for axing AYPAC.

“There is still no line item in the Budget for the National Youth Roundtable despite being run for the third respective year and despite its projected funding being more than a half a million dollars in 2001.

“In light of this and consistent calls from the youth sector, I call upon Minister Kemp to acknowledge the desperate need for a representative youth sector peak body in combination with a meaningful model for direct dialogue with young Australians,” Senator Lundy concluded.

Calender year expenditure for the 1999 national Youth Roundtable and the 2000 National Youth Roundtable (ref: Questions on Notice- DETYA E374 tabled 6 June 2001)

70/01. Media contact: Simon Tatz on 02 6277 3334 or 0418 488 295

6 June 2001 - Media Release

Kelly scraps community-based sport program

Sports Minister Kelly has decided to scrap the Sport Development Grant Scheme, a $3.2 million three-year program administered by the Commonwealth and State governments to deliver community-based participation programs through Active Australia, it was revealed at Senate Estimates this week.

Senator Lundy asked the Australian Sports Commission whether there was a reasonable expectation by the States that this three-year agreement would continue beyond one year.  The Executive Director of the Australian Sports Commission, Mr Mark Peters, responded:

I would say yes.  In fact, I have received letters to that effect and we are discussing with the states at the moment how we can convert what they have done in the initial stage into the government policy.

The Sports Commission also revealed that they had received a letter from Minister Kelly asking them not to continue the Sport Development Grant Scheme and to look at other ways of delivering these programs.

“I am genuinely concerned that money that was going to programs like the Older Adult Network will be redirected to National Sporting Organisations who may not continue the community-based programs which had expected to be funded for three years,” Senator Lundy said.

“The Sports Commission is not responsible for policy – that is Minister Kelly’s role; and from the evidence presented at Estimates it appears that the Minister is ignoring the needs of community-sporting organisations in favour of elite sport.

“Whilst Labor welcomed the Government’s general increase in sport funding announced in April, I am extremely critical of the Minister’s decision to terminate key programs which provide essential community-based recreational programs.

“I call on the Minister to reverse her directive to terminate the Sport Development Grant Scheme,” Senator Lundy concluded.

69/01.  Media contact: Simon Tatz on 02 6277 3334 or 0418 488 295

4 June 2001 - Media Release

Drug tests ‘withdrawal’ raises questions over Tough on Drugs in Sport

Rising costs imposed by the Government for drug testing of athletes has resulted in at least six major sports withdrawing from the Australian Sports Drug Agency (ASDA) testing program.

Identified ‘high risk’ sports such as athletics and cycling, as well as men’s and women’s basketball (NBL and WNBL), the National Soccer League (NSL), and the National Rugby League (NRL), have either withdrawn or downgraded their participation in ASDA’s drug testing program.

At the same time, ASDA’s government contribution has been cut, with revenue from government falling from $5.70m in 2000-01 to just $3.58m in 2004-05, the period covering the Athens Olympic Games.

This gives lie to Sports Minister Kelly’s claim in an interview with Graham Richardson on 2GB on 25 April 2001 that ASDA’s funding had increased by $7 m and “we’ll see increased testing”.

Of the $7.4 million for Tough on Drugs announced in the budget, only $450,000 has been earmarked for ASDA, who admitted in senate estimates today that the number of tests carried out this financial year will fall as result of rising costs.  The bulk of the money has been allocated to the Department of Sport and Tourism, not the official drug-testing agency.

The cost of out-of-competition drug tests has risen from $340 in 1996-97 to almost $500 today.  The cost of an EPO blood test was estimated at between $1200-$1400 each.

Minister Kelly has misled the sporting public. 

ASDA did not get $7 million for drug testing, only $450,000. 

ASDA officials told the Senate Estimates hearing that the decreased participation in drug testing would result in fewer urine-based drug tests and we have already seen major sporting organisation withdraw from ASDA’s testing program due to increased costs.

Minister Kelly’s Tough on Drugs in Sport program, and Australia’s international reputation as being a world leader in drug testing and research, will be in tatters unless ASDA is properly funded.