Category: Politics
-
Australian Prime Ministers and Sport Series – Joseph Lyons
By Greg Blood JOSEPH ALOYSIUS LYONS CH – AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY / UNITED AUSTRALIA PARTY 10th Prime Minister: 1932-1939 Joseph ‘Joe’ Lyons was prime minister during a significant period of the Great Depression where sport played a role in distracting the Australian community from the day-to-day cost of living pressures and high levels of unemployment. The…
australiansportreflections
-
Australian Prime Ministers and Sport Series – Gough Whitlam
by Greg Blood EDWARD “GOUGH” WHITLAM AC QC – AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY 21st Prime Minister: 1972-1975 Gough Whitlam had a limited interest in sport as a participant and spectator but he understood the role that sport could play in Australian society at a time where there was increasing leisure time. His government can be considered…
australiansportreflections
-
Why does the Australian Government invest in sport ? One answer is national pride.
By Greg Blood Why does the Australian Government invest in sport? There are many reasons but the Maltidas performances at the home FIFA Women’s World Cup is an example of sport and its impact on nationalism or national pride. I’m currently researching Australian prime ministers and sport and found that most of them understood that…
australiansportreflections
-
Australian Prime Ministers and Sport Series
By Greg Blood This series profiles every Australian prime minister and their interest in and contribution to the development of sport in Australia. It is often stated that politics and politics don’t or should not mix. This series will highlight how they do mix and interact particularly since 1970 when the Australian Government established a…
australiansportreflections
-
Vale Bob Ellicott AC KC – Fraser Government Minister Responsible for Establishing the Australian Institute of Sport
By Greg Blood Prime Minister Malcom Fraser in late 1978 transferred the sport function to the Dept of Home Affairs under Minister Bob Ellicott. Fraser told Ellicott to “do something about sport” after Australia’s poor performances at the 1976 Olympics and 1978 Commonwealth Games. Greg Hartung in reviewing Ellicott’s period as minister stated he “left…
australiansportreflections
-
Vale Professor John Bloomfield AO – Gentle Giant of the Australian Sport System
By Greg Blood Professor John Bloomfield AO was one of the main architects and drivers of the modern Australian sport system. Bob Ellicott, the Minister for Sport responsible for establishing the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), gave enormous credit to Bloomfield for his strategy and development of sports and recreation reports in the lead up…
australiansportreflections
-
Sport and Federal Politics – Importance of Relationship Building by National Sports Organisations
By Greg Blood With a new Federal Parliament under way, it is important that national sports organisations educate and lobby existing and new Parliamentarians regarding their sport and its needs. It is not enough to just work with the Federal Government’s primary sport agency – Australian Sports Commission. The 47th Federal Parliament commenced on 26…
australiansportreflections
-
Sport and the 2022 Australian Federal Election
By Greg Blood Who said sport and politics don’t or should not mix? In many ways, sport and politics has become more intertwined in recent years. This has occurred through linking political/social issues such as same sex marriage, racism and climate change, “sport-barreling” and more recently transgender issues in sport. In 2021, Prime Minister Morrison…
australiansportreflections
-
History of Federal Ministers of Sport and Their Shadows : Their Tenure and Significant Contribution – Updated May 2025
By Greg Blood The development of sport in Australia since 1972 has been significantly progressed by Federal Ministers of Sport and at times Shadow Ministers of Sport. Listed are Federal Ministers of Sport and their Shadows since 1972. The objective of this list was to look at the longevity of Ministers and highlighting significant policies…
australiansportreflections
Abbott Government, Australian Institute of Sport, Australian Sports Commission, Author – Greg Blood, Fraser Government, Gillard Government, Government Policy, Hawke Government, History, Howard Government, Keating Government, Morrison Government, Politics, Rudd Government, Turnbull Government, Whitlam Government -
Athlete Entry Fees And The Creation Of The Oceania Paralympic Committee – Two Different But Lasting Dividends Of The Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games
By Greg Hartung AO History of Australian Sports Policy Series: Part 27 The purpose of this chapter is to consider two issues which made an important imprint on the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games legacy. The first concerns the vexed question of entry fees applied to teams to enter the Games; the second relates to the…
australiansportreflections