Australian Parliament to consider legislation to strengthen sporting integrity

The Australian Government yesterday has introduced two bills into the Parliament that aim to strengthen Australia’s sports integrity and implement the reforms announced by the Minister for Sport on Tuesday.

Federal Minister for Sport, Bridget McKenzie (pictured) said the bills will help safeguard Australian sport and combat current, emerging and future threats from doping, match-fixing illegal betting, organised crime and corruption, advising "our Government is absolutely committed to ensuring Australia has the highest possible standards of sports integrity so that Australians can trust that competitions and athletes are competing on a level playing field.

“The introduction of the two bills comes in the same week (that the) Government announced the establishment of Sport Integrity Australia.

“The National Sports Tribunal will open its doors on 1st July 2020, providing a cost-effective and timely dispute resolution alternative to the Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport.

“It will also offer mediation and conciliation services to Australian sports.

“The amendment to the ASADA Act will afford greater natural justice to athletes and ensure matters are quickly and efficiently dealt with.

“Both of these bills implement key recommendations of the Wood Review.

“Our government is acting swiftly to keep all athletes - whether elite or juniors - safe and be confident the sports in which they participate are clean and fair.”

The first bill introduced into the House of Representatives, will establish the National Sports Tribunal to hear anti-doping and general disputes arising from the rules of Australian sports.

The second bill, the ASADA Amendment Bill 2019, introduced into the Senate, will make changes to the ASADA Act to strengthen and streamline the anti-doping regime, providing a faster, more efficient pathway to determine if an anti-doping rule violation has occurred and to take appropriate action.