NSW: Olympics minister should not be SOCOG boss; Chikarovski

AAP General News (Australia)
12-07-1998
NSW: Olympics minister should not be SOCOG boss; Chikarovski

SYDNEY, Dec 7 AAP - Newly-elected New South Wales Liberal leader Kerry Chikarovski said
today she wanted to separate the jobs of Olympics minister and president of SOCOG.

Current Olympics Minster, Labor's Michael Knight, has been criticised for holding both
positions, but the arrangement is supported by Australian Olympic Committee president John
Coates.

Mr Coates has said he has the legal right to veto any changes to SOCOG under a secret
agreement with the NSW government signed more than five years ago.

However, he could find his veto power under challenge if Mrs Chikarovski is elected in the
March state election.

"We don't believe that the minister for the Olympics should be the president of SOCOG, what
we need to do is look at the legal ramifications of doing that," she told reporters.

Mrs Chikarovski's predecessor Peter Collins repeatedly attacked Mr Knight over his dual
roles but refused to rule out the coalition doing the same if it was elected.

Mrs Chikarovski also accused Premier Bob Carr of politicising the Games.

"What really disappoints me with the premier is that he's taken ownership of the Olympics,"
she said.

"The Olympics do not belong to the Labor party, they do not belong to the Liberal Party,
the Olympics are for the people of NSW, for the people of Australia and they should be treated
in that way.

"I believe that the premier has made a grave mistake by politicising them."

AAP ns/jd/it

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