MINISTER SNUBBED ON DRUGS SUMMIT

FEDERAL Sport Minister Jackie Kelly has been snubbed by Olympics chiefs,
with John Coates declining an invitation to play a lead role in her pet
project, an international sports drugs summit.

In a tersely worded letter written to Ms Kelly and obtained by The
Australian, the Australian Olympic Committee president condemned the Howard
Government for an "inexcusable" delay in responding to sports drug
initiatives that the AOC proposed 13 months ago.

"This extraordinary delay has created a window of opportunity for the
illegal manufacture and/or importation of these drugs and their stockpiling
within Australia for use by athletes participating in the 2000 Olympic
Games," Mr Coates wrote last Thursday.

He accused Customs Minister Amanda Vanstone of ignoring the AOC's call for
tougher penalties for trafficking in sports drugs, such as steroids and
human growth hormones, saying he feared the proposal had "disappeared into a
bureaucratic vacuum".

The letter, obtained after it was circulated to Sydney Organising Committee
board members, was written in response to Ms Kelly's request that the AOC
join her delegation at the summit she has organised to be held in Sydney
from November 14 to 17.

While Ms Kelly hoped the summit would demonstrate government leadership, Mr
Coates said the AOC would only attend as an "observer", warning it planned
to publicly criticise her Government.

Mr Coates noted in the letter that he applauded Ms Kelly's opinion that
government action was required but added that "your personal convictions are
not shared by your Government".

The rift comes only days before Olympics organisers stage celebrations
tomorrow marking one year to go before the 2000 Games opening ceremony.

A spokesman for Ms Kelly played down Mr Coates's comments, saying "no one
begrudges a person of Mr Coates's experience raising some issues".

Senator Vanstone said last week the Commonwealth was working with State
governments through an expert committee to examine proposals to toughen
penalties.

The letter follows criticism of Ms Kelly's performance by AOC athletes
commission member Nicole Stevenson who said the minister was "living in
fantasy land".

The AOC sent a detailed submission to the Government in August 1998 calling
for the illegal manufacture, importation, exportation, trafficking and
possession of hard sports drugs to be treated as harshly as narcotics.

Under the Customs Act, a person caught trafficking in illegal sports drugs
faces a fine of up to $50,000 while a person trafficking in heroin could be
jailed for life.

Mr Coates said government lawyers were unaware of Australia's obligations
under the Anti-Doping Convention, to which the Government has been a party
for almost five years.

The convention obliges Australia to adopt laws to restrict the availability
of banned sports drugs, especially anabolic steroids.