Federal Sport Minister withdraws from Business of Sport Summit

Federal Sport Minister Peter Dutton has withdrawn from his keynote address at the Business of Sport Summit (BOSS) on the morning of Wednesday 2nd April.

The Federal Minister, who is also Minister for Health, was in Perth on Tuesday 1st April for a Federal Cabinet meeting and, with the Federal Coalition also campaigning for the Western Australian Senate election re-run this Saturday, was apparently unable to return to Sydney to make his highly anticipated address to the BOSS event.

The planned address to the BOSS event, being attended by Australia’s sport industry leaders, offered Minister Dutton his first opportunity to present his, and the current Federal Government’s, vision of future sporting policy. Since being appointed Federal Sport Minister in Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s first Ministry, Minister Dutton has been notably quiet on an policy area within his portfolio.

Prime Minister Abbott’s decision to have sport represented at Cabinet level in his Government, along with the health portfolio, was widely acclaimed when it was announced last September, with many in the industry seeing the joining of the portfolios as a major opportunity to link activity and recreation with a preventative health agenda.

Although he has attended various major events, including the Australian Open and the opening ceremony of the Sochi Winter Olympics; presided over some openings and congratulated teams and athletes on significant achievements, Minister Dutton has been very limited in the announcements he has made on sport, recreation and activity initiatives or strategies since his taking up the role.

Beyond moving to provide funding for the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) to engage a former Federal Court Judge to assist with its anti-doping investigations, industry insiders have had to clutch at occasional, often unreferenced, quotes made by the Minister.

These have included a suggestion that a HECs-style repayment plan for elite athletes who receive Government funding should be “discussed” and his expression, in an interview with Brisbane newspaper The Courier Mail, that he would not support a 'sugar tax' on sweetened drinks to limit consumption. Here Minister Dutton stated that it is a “parental responsibility” to get children active and reduce youth obesity.

The later comment does not bode well for those looking for Government action to reduce Australia’s obesity crisis or in encouraging initiatives promoting physical activity

In advance of Federal Treasurer Joe Hockey’s May budget, Minister Dutton is inevitably restricted by being able to make major new announcements, as sport and recreation is likely to have to carry whatever share of spending cuts Treasurer Hockey introduces.

Therein, various Federal election commitments for sporting infrastructure will, presumably, have to be met and funding for sport juggled within existing or reduced budgets.

Those looking for new initiatives from the current 'non-interventionist' Federal Government may well be disappointed. Indeed, some might fear that when Holden, Qantas and Toyota haven’t received Government funding, that the argument for Federal funding of recreation and sport may have to be made all over again.

Those looking for a vision for sport from Minister Dutton may well now turn their attention to the Sports Without Borders conference in Melbourne on Friday 2nd May, where Minister Dutton is due to make an address.

Federal MP, former Davis Cup tennis star and former Next Generation Health Clubs executive John Alexander will address the BOSS event in Minister Dutton’s place.

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