DOPING: Proposed changes to increase the investigative powers of the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) will be debated in the Federal Parliament today.

The recommendations were made following a Senate inquiry held in response to the release of the Australian Crime Commission report, which found the use of performance enhancing drugs was widespread in Australian sport, evidence of match fixing and links to organised crime.

Under recommendations tabled, athletes would be fined $5100 if they withheld information from drug investigators, while the burden of proof would be shifted on to them to prove they had done nothing wrong.

On the 1st of March at the Senate inquiry, AOC President John Coates argued ASADA’s powers need to be strengthened as drug testing alone is not enough in the fight against drugs in sport.He pushed for criminal sanctions for athletes who do not cooperate believing a $5100 fine is not a deterrent for professional athletes. 

Kim Crow, Olympic rower and Chairperson of the AOC Athletes’ Commission, supports the tougher measures. 

“Stringent protocols are necessary,” she told the enquiry. “Being called to give evidence to ASADA is not an intrusion at all - clean athletes want a level playing field.”   

The crime commission supports the law changes, along with the Australian Sports Commission and the AOC. 

The Greens’ spokesman on sport, Senator Richard Di Natale, said it was unfair for athletes to have their reputations tarnished and their rights removed by being coerced into speaking to investigators. The Coalition is urging for the proposals to be deferred until a review of the World Anti-Doping Agency’s code is completed later this year.

Coates who is on the IOC Executive Board told the inquiry that the reviewed WADA code would not impact these recommendations.

The proposals have been opposed by the Australian Athletes’ Alliance (AAA) for being unnecessary and a violation of athletes’ rights.

Even without criminal sanctions the AOC believes increased powers for ASADA would be a significant step forward and something Coates has been campaigning for, for over 10 years.

"If the recommendations are accepted by the Parliament we think it’s a terrific move forward. We pushed for tougher sanctions but we are happy to have some initiatives that are accepted and we’d welcome it being tabled and hope it passes,” AOC Media Director Mike Tancred said.

AOC