WADA to consider global amnesty for drug cheats

Thursday, October 18, 2012

"There is talk of an amnesty; It was raised initially by the UCI and raised subsequently by the Australian head of cycling. Let me say this: it is not for cycling to call an amnesty, it is something WADA would do. And it would have to apply not just to cycling, but to cheating in any sport," Fahey said yesterday.

"I would be interested, and I can assure you my board would be interested, if there was some groundswell there of that nature, can we talk about where this might lead to, simply just to clean the slate and start again?

"If there was that culture, and there is no little doubt when you read that (USADA) decision there was a culture in cycling, how do you cleanse the slate from that culture other than by saying: 'look, anybody who's been there in the past, come clean now as Matt White did'.

"He was a teammate (of Armstrong) and when asked he said: 'Yes, I am guilty'.

"It has cost him his job. At least he had the honesty and decency to do that, when found out. Now is there more of that available in that sport or any other sport? I wouldn't rule it out. I would be interested in hearing the arguments on it if that develops."

Armstrong and the UCI still have two weeks to appeal against the USADA findings to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and WADA have a further 21 days to respond after that.

World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) president Australian John Fahey. Picture: AFP Source: AFP

But former NSW premier Fahey said tactics in the global fight against drugs in sport could be changed by the recent events in cycling. "We will just let that process ride at the moment, but then I think there'll be a fair degree of scrutiny on the next steps," Fahey said.

"We ought not to ignore, as described in the decision, the greatest sporting fraud in history. Do we need to let this one just go through with its consequences that are pretty obvious. or do we now say is this part of an endemic problem in this sport, or any other sport, and should we tackle it in a different way?

"Suggestions such as an amnesty ought to be discussed. I am keeping an open mind on that."

Fahey said seeing cyclists like Tyler Hamilton and White confess their doping past was extremely welcome and "restored my faith in human nature to see that is a sentiment that is still in sport".

"They've at least said they're sorry and that's a step ahead of some others, who continue to deny reality," he said.

While restrained from speaking frankly about Armstrong and the UCI due to the appeals window, Fahey commended the "extremely thorough and professional" USADA investigation.

"I saw one commentator at the conclusion of reading it say only the wilfully blind would support Lance Armstrong. I can well understand why a commentator would make that comment," he said.

Asked if massive doping fraud on a cycling scale could be happening in other sports, Fahey said: "History would suggest in the past, there was a culture in cycling. Is the culture behind us now? I think there have been good steps taken in recent years to deal with the problem. Are they completely on top of the issue now? I don't know. That's why I am going to watch with great interest.

"Is there a same problem in other sports? There is no evidence but there's no guarantee that this isn't a problem in many sports, in a similar nature."

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Australia wins seat on UN Security Council

Foreign Minister Bob Carr casts his vote for Australia's winning bid for a seat at the UN Security Council at UN headquarters in New York. "This was a big, juicy, decisive win", Senator Carr said. Source: AFP

AUSTRALIA has scored a surprising and emphatic win in its bid for a seat on the United Nations Security Council, coming well ahead of its opponents Luxembourg and Finland with 140 of a possible 193 votes.

"Let me just say to you, it is always good to see Australia win," said Foreign Minister, Bob Carr, stepping out of the UN’s Great Hall in New York shortly after the vote.

"This was a big, juicy, decisive win. And it’s very, very sweet."

The vote means Australia will serve for two years as one of 10 non - permanent of the Security Council, joining the five permanent member nations in influencing crucial decisions about military interventions across the world.

International aid agency Oxfam says Australia has a chance to make a real difference to world peace following its election to the United Nations Security Council.

Oxfam Australia executive director Andrew Hewett urged Australia to make the most of its rare but brief stint at the most powerful table in the world.

For historical reasons, Australia was grouped in the Western Europe & Others category, and was pitted against Luxembourg and Finland in a secret ballot for two seats of the five available seats."But Australia needs to hit the ground running with a clear vision if it wants to make a real difference to the peace and security of women, men and children around the world.''

Foreign Minister Bob Carr before the vote on Australia's bid for a seat on the non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council for the years 2013-2014 at UN headquarters in New York.

Insiders had expected Finland, which began its campaign for a seat in 2001, would win easily, especially as Australia only joined the bid in 2008, when Kevin Rudd was still prime minister.

After five years and $25 million, Foreign Minister Bob Carr went into the Great Hall just before 10am (1am AEDT) saying he was "nervous" about Australia’s chances.

Just after midday (3am AEDT), the vote came in.

The announcement that Australia had come in first must have shocked Finland, whose leaders had seemed certain they would get one of the two seats.

Instead, Luxembourg got 128 votes and Finland 108. The two nations then went to a runoff vote, Luxembourg winning with 131 votes to Finland’s 60.

Other countries which won seats on the day were Rwanda, Argentina and South Korea.

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