Parliamentary Speeches
Transcript with the Minister for Sport, Kate Ellis - 2008 Beijing Olympics - Radio National
08 Aug 2008MEDIA: Radio National
DATE: 08 August 2008
TIME: 07:48am
TRANSCRIPT: Interview, Minister for Sport, Kate Ellis is speaking about the 2008 Beijing Olympics, including weather, politics and the challenges for Australian athletes.
FRAN KELLY: Let's go to the Olympic medal count now, because let's face it, we will be cheering them on, and counting those gold medals mount up. Australia came fourth at the Sydney Games, did it again at Athens, with 17 gold medals, but the competition in Beijing will be tougher, there's no doubt about that.
AOC chief John Coates, is confident of a top five finish on the medal tally for Australia, the US magazine, Sports Illustrated, goes one better, it says we'll finish in the top four. But Britain thinks it can edge Australia out this time. Now them's fightin' words.
Among those in Beijing for the Opening Ceremony, is Federal Sports Minister, Kate Ellis. She's had a bet with her British counterpart that our medal tally will be bigger than theirs. Kate Ellis, good morning.
KATE ELLIS: Good morning, Fran, great to be with you.
FRAN KELLY : Well, first things first, how are the pollution in Beijing this morning?
KATE ELLIS: Well, I've had a look out the window, and visibility is actually probably worse than it was yesterday.
FRAN KELLY: Worse?
KATE ELLIS: Yes, it is though not yet six o'clock in the morning over here, so hopefully as the day unfolds a little, it clears up. But we had some high hopes last night, and there was quite a breeze that came through, which I have to say was a huge relief to a lot of people, because it has just been so hot and humid, and we thought that that might clear the air a little bit, but it doesn't seem to have been the case thus far.
FRAN KELLY: We'll cross our fingers for a big wind. Now Minister, let's get to this bet with Team Great Britain, what is the wager with your British counterpart?
KATE ELLIS: [Laughs] Well, I had a meeting with the British Sports Minister yesterday, and we agreed - they've been doing some very tough talking, and have been making some statements in their media, which we stumbled across, when they were saying that they were going to beat Australia. So in the end, we've put a wager down that whoever wins less medals, will have to win [sic] the other team's sporting colours...
FRAN KELLY: Will have to wear the other team's colours?
KATE ELLIS: ...when our countries next meet. So I'll be cheering on the Australians extra hard, because I don't know whether I'll make it out of there alive. If I was at an Ashes Game or the like in the Union Jack, that's not a pleasant thought at all.
FRAN KELLY: No, not a pleasant thought at all. Well, what hope do you think, I mean I'm sure before you placed a dangerous wager like this, you had a close study of the odds? We won 17 gold medals in Athens, can we top that?
KATE ELLIS: Look, I'm not sure about that, there is no doubt that the competition is getting tougher, and the challenges for Australia are increasing, and we've acknowledged that. The rest of the world, one, are pouring a lot of money into elite sport, but two, one of the consequences of us hosting the Sydney Olympics, was that the rest of the world got to come and see our set-up, our world-beating sporting structure, in the way that the AIS is set up, and we're seeing that being replicated in other places around the world, so they are catching up, and that's why we need to continue to reform our system, and have an innovative approach. I'm not sure that they'll get us just yet though.
FRAN KELLY: Does reform and innovation basically come down to dollars though, because let's face it, there does seem to be a correlation between dollars and gold medals, and on that front, Britain is investing huge amounts of money, over a million pounds, in the lead up to the London 2012 Olympics, but $500 million in the run up to these games.
KATE ELLIS: There's no doubt that funding is a factor, but it's my very firm view that this issue is a lot broader than just that. The reason that Australia has over-performed in the past, is not because of dollars, it's not because when you look at our population, when you look at our tax revenue base, it's not because of funding, it's because we've had such a smart system, because we've invested in sports science, in research and technology, because we've had the world class facilities of the Australian Institute of Sport, and for a whole range of other factors, our talent identification programs, our coaching support, that's where we need to maintain our strength, and keep moving forward as well, it's not just about money, it's about using that money smarter.
FRAN KELLY: Well I know you're about to start a review of funding for sport and other things, and we'll stay tuned for that. Minister, meanwhile you were with the athletes last night at that giant party, which looked like a lot of fun, plenty of happy faces, but we've heard the IOC boss, Jacques Rogge just a little earlier, basically warning the Olympians about no public statements on human rights, did any of our team raise issues like Tibet, or anything else with you?
KATE ELLIS: No, to be honest, they haven't, they seem very much focused on the job that they've come here to do, and the sports that they've participated in. But we have had many conversations with the Australian Olympic Committee about our athletes, and they've maintained that our athletes obviously are free to have their opinions, and to voice those opinions, but do have to be very mindful of both Chinese law, but also the IOC Rule 51, which prevents them from taking part in informal protests, so there's a very fine line. My bet is that most of our athletes aren't going to go anywhere near it, that they're very much focused on the event that they've come here to participate in.
FRAN KELLY: All right, Kate Ellis, thank you very much for joining us.
KATE ELLIS: Great to be with you.
FRAN KELLY: Kate Ellis is the Federal Minister for Sport, she's there in Beijing of course, and she'll be there watching that Opening Ceremony tonight. Let's hope the air clears enough for her, and us, to see it.