McCully winds back clock on sport and recreation
new-zealand-labour-party
Mon Jun 22 2009 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)
McCully winds back clock on sport and recreation
Monday, 22 June 2009, 4:21 pm
Press Release: New Zealand Labour Party
Chris Hipkins
Sport and Recreation spokesperson
22 June 2009 **Media Statement
**
McCully winds back the clock on sport and recreation
Sports Minister Murray McCully is winding back the clock with plans to split high-performance sport from the umbrella of SPARC, Labour’s Sport and Recreation spokesperson Chris Hipkins says.
“Separating high performance sport from the rest of the sport and recreation sector will create unnecessary fragmentation. Our sports organisations will end up spending more time shuffling paper to meet the requirements of different funders rather than getting on with their core job of running sport,” Chris Hipkins said.
“The only people likely to support a separation are those who want more cash without any accountability. Segmenting the sport and recreation sector hasn’t worked in the past and it won’t work now.
“New Zealanders participate in sport and recreation on a range of levels, from those who participate in school and club sport through to professional athletes. We need to take an integrated approach that recognises that reality.
“Labour will support moves to increase the number of people involved in organised sport and recreation. Creating a barrier between high performance sport and other forms of sport and recreation won’t help at all.
“SPARC was established following a Ministerial Taskforce report that identified the need for greater integration, coordination and cooperation within the recreation and sport sector. Murray McCully’s proposal to split SPARC in half goes in the opposite direction
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“The National government’s decision to axe funding for Push Play and Mission On, coupled with their new proposal to cut SPARC in half sends the very clear message that they are only interested in high performance sport and not in the many thousands of kiwis who participate in sport and recreation at other levels.
“Murray McCully will be known as the Minister for fat kids. He’s cut funding for programmes aimed at reducing New Zealand’s ‘couch potato’ index without any real evidence they don’t work. It seems he would rather leave it to the health sector to cope with the effects of obesity and other health problems rather than taking a positive proactive approach,” Chris Hipkins said.
ENDS
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