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Transcript with the Minister for Sport, Kate Ellis - 2008 Beijing Olympics

MEDIA: 2UE Radio

DATE: 07 August 2008

TIME: 10:05am

TRANSCRIPT: Interview, Minister for Sport, Kate Ellis is interviewed about the upcoming Beijing Olympics.

STEVE PRICE: We've kicked off an interesting debate this morning on whether you think Australia actually spends too much money on elite sport, especially the Olympics.

Now, we raised this because of two commentators, one of whom we've already spoken with, Andrew Bolt, said yesterday that we are overspending on sport. I wouldn't have thought that's the case. I would have thought the average Australian thought that we had the mix just about right, and all the enjoyment we're going to get out of this Olympic Games that kicks off tomorrow over the next fortnight, the enjoyment we get out of our cricket team out of the Socceroos and our domestic football codes. I think Australia has a very healthy attachment to sport.

Well I'm staggered by the reaction to our poll which is running on 2UE.com.au. We're asking the question this morning, do we spend too much money sending athletes to the Olympic Games? That's running at a yes, 78 per cent, which I would have thought it would have been around the other way, so maybe I've got this completely wrong. A lot of emailers, callers to that and happy to take them on 131332 and well speak - I'll ask Ken Sutcliffe about it when he joins us later this half hour, but I'm pleased to say back on the line, we had her in the studio last week, is Australia's Sports Minister, Kate Ellis. She's in Beijing, about to go into a meeting with her British counterpart.

Morning to you, Minister.

KATE ELLIS: Good morning Steve, great to be with you. [Indistinct], I should say.

STEVE PRICE: Excited? What do we say?

KATE ELLIS: Well I don't know, I might leave the Mandarin speaking to the Prime Minister. I think that's about as far as I go.

STEVE PRICE: You need to take lessons from Kev.

KATE ELLIS: Yes.

STEVE PRICE: Are you surprised by that, that people on that poll are suggesting to me that we might spend too much money on sport?

KATE ELLIS: I am actually. I think one of the issues here is, often there's quite a divisive debate about the funding we do spend on sport, and how much should be spent on elite sport, and how much should be spent on grass roots programs and efforts to boost participation.

And it's my view that these two intimately linked, that one of the reasons why we invest, one of the reasons why we spend taxpayer dollars in sending off our Olympic athletes, is not just because of the national pride it generates, but also because it encourages role models, and it means that our young people that are looking at, you know, whether it be our amazing swimmers or cyclists or rowers, might say, you know, that's something that I aspire to be and I'm going to go out there and get active and get healthy as well. So, I think it's a very sound investment.

STEVE PRICE: There's also some confusion isn't there, when you look at a budget line that sends an amount of money to the Sports Commission. That doesn't mean all that money goes to the Olympic team? That money is distributed at the commission's discretion and much of that money does end up in grass roots sport doesn't it?

KATE ELLIS: Well it certainly does. It goes out to, you know, over 150 different national sporting organisations. But I have to say that the benefits of sports, in my view, are not just generated by our Olympic efforts, although I'm well and truly wearing the green and gold over here at the moment. But it's also just the impact it can have in terms of bringing communities together in terms of teaching young people disciplines and organisational skills and leadership and as well as, of course, the health impacts.

And sport, I think, is amazingly powerful right across the board. And I think we need to remember that, that it's just not about getting out there and beating the Brits or whoever else, there's a lot more to it than that.

STEVE PRICE: You're meeting with the British Sports Minister, Gerry Sutcliffe. Are you going to have a little side wager with him that we will come home with more medals in our pocket than he does?

KATE ELLIS: Well, we'll see how it goes. I'd be fairly confident in making that bet, but the thing that I find really amusing about all of this is the way that the Brits are just hung up on the Australians. Rather than being some tiny, you know, long lost colony, but they've really focused on their goal is beating the Australians.

And I think that most of the athletes - most of our athletes over here are of the view that they want to win, they want to get out there and do their best, and they don't care whether that means beating the Brits or beating, you know, the US or the Indians or the Chinese or whoever else, but the British just seem obsessed by us and I find that very amusing and might have a bit of fun with the Minister this morning, I think.

STEVE PRICE: How amazing are the facilities there, Minister?

KATE ELLIS: Absolutely incredible. I only - it was my first day yesterday, and I got down to the athletes village and was just blown away by the facilities, and had a chat, and went out to where the Australian athletes are staying and had a chat with a number of them that were just saying, they've never seen facilities like this. It's absolutely incredible.

And just the architecture over here, which is gone up so rapidly, is amazing. China's really changed a lot in a very small amount of time.

STEVE PRICE: Obviously the smog, pollution, fog, whatever you like to call it is an issue. I'm told there today, we spoke with Neil Breen from The Telegraph earlier. It is a bad today as it's been earlier in the week.

Are the Chinese confident that they can at least have a couple of clear days of competition?

KATE ELLIS: Well I think so. I mean we've heard reports of - the just remarkable technology that they've come up with and are willing to utilise to ensure that happens.

I'm looking out the window as we speak and visibility is not good at all, but the thing that has really struck me, and the thing that a number of athletes raised is that, it's not the air quality that's the issue, it's the heat. It is just stiflingly hot and humid over here at the moment, which probably takes a bit of adjusting to.

STEVE PRICE: Opening ceremony obviously tomorrow night. You'll be there. It looks from what we've seen of the rehearsals, just to be staggering as you'd expect?

KATE ELLIS: Well absolutely. I think that they've gone all out over here. This is their big chance to dazzle on the world stage and I have no doubt that it will be unbelievable.

STEVE PRICE: Great to talk to you again. I look forward to catching up with you during the Games. Thanks.

KATE ELLIS: Always nice to talk to you. Thanks Steve.

STEVE PRICE: Australian Sports Minister, Kate Ellis there in Beijing

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