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Beijing Olympics Sky News "Sunday Agenda" 24 August 2008

24 August 2008

MEDIA: Sky News "Sunday Agenda"

DATE: 24 August 2008

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

Helen Dalley: And now we'll talk to someone who's just come back from Beijing and is returning for the Paralympics next month, that's Sports Minister Kate Ellis. The minister welcomed the Olympic torch to Canberra amid human rights demonstrations four months ago and she attended the Opening Ceremony and many sporting events in Beijing in happier circumstances in these past two weeks. She joins us now from Adelaide to talk about her Olympic experience. Welcome to Sunday Agenda, Minister.

Kate Ellis: Good morning Helen, great to be with you.

Helen Dalley: Good. Now when IOC President Jacques Rogge sums up the Olympics tonight and uses the Rogge equivalent of the 'best ever' clich� will you agree with his assessment that these games were really outstanding?

Kate Ellis: Well, I think these games were unbelievably unique. I think that when you have a look at the facilities and just the amount of resources and effort that the Chinese put in to putting on a great games, it's unparalleled by any other Olympics; but equally there's been a lot of talk about the atmosphere, the lack of locals, the crowd, some of the ticketing dramas, some commentary about the security measures in place. So it was a unique games, it was very well put on, very well organised and I'll leave it up to others to judge for themselves whether they think it's the best ever. I think it was a Chinese Olympics which was very interesting and I thought very successful.

Helen Dalley: That's the politician's way out. Now for you as a politician did human rights overshadow the Olympics to a certain degree?

Kate Ellis: Well, no, I don't think they did. I think that there was a lot of debate in the lead-up to the Games. My view is that that's a very healthy thing and I think that's that a great thing that we're talking about and shining a spotlight on a lot of these issues which probably weren't on the front pages of our newspapers for a long time. But I think that once the Games began then the spotlight really went onto the athletes and onto some remarkable feats. When you have a look at the world records that have been broken over the last two weeks then I think that there has been a lot of focus on sports and that is exactly what the IOC and others would like.

Helen Dalley: Okay, well, you told David Speers on day three of the Olympics on Agenda that the Olympics are not just about medals but fielding a big team, creating role models for the rest of the community. Do you still feel that that has actually been done?

Kate Ellis: I absolutely do. I think that if you want a case in point that illustrates that then you can look no further than Anna Meares. That, of course, whilst a lot of people have been focused all on gold, gold, gold, Anna came out against unbelievable odds from breaking her neck just months ago to go through that training, that commitment to come back to win a silver medal, but then to stand there and say "Silver is as good as gold, I'm just glad that I'm here, I'm glad that I'm competing," I just think that that is an inspiring story. They're the sorts of stories that I think we can take out of the Games and talk to our young about, talk to, indeed, all Australians about and we can all learn something from. And I think that's the great thing about the Olympic Games and about elite athletes is that we can really learn from that discipline, from the team work, from the leadership qualities, but also from the healthy lifestyle. And I hope that a few people have been inspired to get out and do a bit more themselves.

Helen Dalley: You also said that Australia is still punching above its weight, that we've won I think total to date 46 medals and 14 gold included in that. Now that's a pretty remarkable achievement. So what do you say to those critics who say we haven't met our expectations?

Kate Ellis: Well, I think that the first thing we have to recognise is that this is a remarkable achievement. When you have a look at many of the countries below us on the medal tally; have a look at the size of their populations, of the sizes of their economies it is truly remarkable what the Australian team has achieved. I think that they've had some brilliant results. And for those that say otherwise well there's no doubt that there's been some of those silver medals which were desperately close to being gold medals and the athletes as well as their teams would've loved it had they got that little bit further.

But I think that we need to stop and actually celebrate what we're doing well and whilst we have become used to punching above our weight I think we still need to recognise that what Australia achieves on the international level is truly phenomenal, and it's no fluke. It's because we put such a focus into having a smart system because we give good support to our athletes and to our teams and because we do have a very good structure in place. And I think that every now and then we have to stop and just recognise that and rather than just perhaps getting used to always being up there, I think it is important that we stop and reflect on just how big a deal that is.

Helen Dalley: All right. Well, let's talk about funding support. You mentioned support for athletes. Now you've also said it's not just about the funding. The UK put money into its school system and the rest of the world, many of them copied us on things like the AIS, but you've said it's about reform and staying ahead of the pack. Now how do we reform without more funding?

Kate Ellis: Well, I think the first thing that we do is we have a look at how the funding that is currently allocated to the Australian sport system is being utilised and whether we are getting the maximum bang for every one of those taxpayer dollars and that means that we need to have a look at the programmes that are in place. We need to have a look at how the system is fitting together: are there areas of fragmentation? I mean, of course, the Federal Government puts a lot of resources into sport but so do our State governments and then so do our sporting organisations. Are there ways that we can better cooperate and make that money go further?

Helen Dalley: So you think there's some duplication, too much duplication?

Kate Ellis: I think potentially there is. If you have a look at over the last decade the number of inquiries there's been into Australian sport. There was a big review in 1999 that Ross Oakley headed up. But there's also been inquiries into women in sport, into disability sport, into a whole range of areas and sadly, not many of those recommendations have actually been considered and acted upon. I think that it's time that we kept our system moving forward, that we have a look at the next steps for our system and that we introduce serious reform.

Helen Dalley: Okay, well that's what I'm asking you, what are some of those steps? But let me put it to you this way, The Age this morning is reporting that taxpayers spend something like $17 million on each gold medal we've won. That's an awful lot of money. Julie Bishop, the Opposition deputy, said that the Opposition supports the government funding for the Olympics but it shouldn't take money away from health and medical research. Do you agree with that?

Kate Ellis: Well, obviously, I think that funding for sport has to be weighed up against the other priorities. But what I'd like to see us do is when we're talking about sports funding, and indeed when we're talking about sport in Australia, I think we need to recognise that it's not just about two weeks of the Olympics. It's actually, I think that sport is intimately linked with health outcomes, with the preventative health agenda. It's linked with education and the use of sport in actually . . .

Helen Dalley: But Minister, the money that goes to the AIS is pretty much specifically to fund Olympic elite sports.

Kate Ellis: Well, the money that goes to the Sports Commission funds Olympic sports. It also funds, for example, the Active After-schools program that gets children in primary schools out there just learning basic motor skills, learning how to run and jump and catch and throw and important things.

Helen Dalley: Can I just ask you, will you be asking questions, for instance, about the AIS? Again, according to this Age report they fund something like 18 Olympic sports, only six of those Olympic sports have won gold medals. Will you be asking questions of the AIS about that performance?

Kate Ellis: Look, I don't want to criticise those other sports but certainly after every Olympics, and, indeed, every time we come round to a funding round, there'll be serious work done analysing the programs that are in place, the sports that we're funding, what we're getting as a return from that and what the best way forward is, and that will happen after these Olympics as it always does.

Helen Dalley: All right. Well, John Coates and Alan Thompson, the head swimming coach, have both come out -- at a politically opportune moment of course -- arguing for more money for Olympic sports. Thompson even says swimming faces a crisis. Are you going to be pushed by them into making bigger funding commitments?

Kate Ellis: Look, we've certainly said that we intend to remain strong partners with the Olympic Committee on our Olympic teams. I said to John Coates that the government will be sitting down with them following on from the Olympics. They've started their own process of review into how much funding they think they require. We're happy to have those conversations, but obviously that will be then weighed up against the government's other priorities and equally, we'll do that after we look at the amount of funding that's already going into the system and how we're using that.

Helen Dalley: All right, really briefly in the few moments we have, you've obviously had a fantastic couple of weeks. What was your favourite Olympic moment?

Kate Ellis: I can't narrow it down to just one. I think given that we've only got a few moments I'll say the first gold medal; Stephanie Rice smashing that world record was pretty nice to see.

Helen Dalley: Okay. Well, now also I need you to give me an exclusive here. The British Sports Minister Gerry Sutcliffe says that he's very much looking forward to seeing you wearing a British team shirt at a major sporting event in Australia as a result of you losing the bet about which country would take away the most medals. Now are you going to honour your bet and at which sporting event will you be wearing the British team shirt and maybe the Union Jack?

Kate Ellis: Yes, thank you for reminding me of that. No, I'm not one to shirk on a bet so I will be honouring my part of the deal. I'll be ringing the UK minister tomorrow to inform him of this. I'm not sure what the next event we're playing against each other is, but we'll look out for that. But I might also point out a few home truths about the differences in our populations and the fact that it was Australia, one country, versus four over there. I'll try not to be too much of a bad loser, but I think that there are a few things that could be pointed out to him as this point as well.

Helen Dalley: Yes. Can you perhaps put across the back of the shirt 20 million versus what 60 million or something like that?

Kate Ellis: Well, perhaps. I'm really trying to be a good sport but it's hurting me. It's paining me a great deal already this whole bet thing. So that'll teach me for being such a smarty-pants, won't it?

Helen Dalley: You were very confident of our team. Kate Ellis, Sports Minister, thanks very much for joining us.

Kate Ellis: Great to be with you.

[Ends]

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