11 September 2007

Statement on  Out of Competition Illicit Drugs in Sport

If elected to Government, Federal Labor will develop a campaign to stamp out illicit drug use in sport.

Labor believes that any culture of acceptance and cover up of illicit drug use by athletes must not be tolerated. 

Federal Labor will convene an expert working group drawn from law enforcement agencies experienced in dealing with illicit drug use, medical experts, drug and alcohol counselling and rehabilitation services as well as stakeholders involved in the sports community.

Labor will ask Sports Medicine Australia to draw on the working group’s knowledge to prepare a model framework that will allow individual sports to develop practical codes for addressing illicit drug use by the end of 2008.

Labor acknowledges that a 'one size fits all' won’t necessarily provide the best outcomes for the diverse range of sports organisations.

A national framework will help individual sports to provide athletes with nationally consistent advice on the dangers of illicit drug use.

It will also ensure that athletes are assisted to access treatment and rehabilitation programs in accordance with best practice.

We need a practical, evidence- based approach that takes into account the health and welfare of the athletes concerned.

We will also seek advice from the working group on the appropriateness and practicality of further testing.

The Howard Government has demonstrated a lack of understanding of the basics issues.

This lack of understanding has been reinforced with Minister Brandis charging the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) with the role of preparing advice on illicit drug use in sport. 

ASADA’s role is to keep sport free of performance enhancing drugs. It has no current expertise to evaluate the policy merits of different approaches to policing out of competition illicit drug use.

The Federal Government’s simplistic responses to this issue including advocating “naming and shaming” are not a sufficient or credible response to stamping out illicit drug use.

Federal Labor has been clear in its support for sports which have shown initiative in their approach to uphold the highest social values among their athletes through education and support.