Aussie leaders: Don't rush F1 tobacco sponsorship ban
Posted: Friday September 18, 1998 04:45 PM
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -- Australia should not try to end
tobacco sponsorship of Formula One motor racing ahead of the rest
of the world, Victorian state premier Jeff Kennett said Friday.
Kennett said the sport was international and that Australia should be
in step with the proposed ban, due from 2006.
"I think if the world is moving towards that target date, then
we should be part of it," he said. "I don't think we should argue
against it. On the other hand, I don't know that there is much
value in us trying to do something different from the world because
the sport is international. You're not going to be able to run this event with different continents having different rules."
The Age newspaper reported Friday that tobacco advertising at
the Melbourne race would be banned in a deal between state and
federal governments to be announced next week, and be effective after
2000.
Grand Prix Corporation chairman Ron Walker said he would not
comment until federal Health Minister Michael Wooldridge had
announced a deal.
"It's up to the minister to make an announcement about it," he said when asked whether he could confirm the story. "I can't give you the date that it'll happen, but it'll happen some time in the future."
A spokesman at Wooldridge's office refused to confirm or deny
details in the story.
Wooldridge has been a long-time campaigner for the abolition of
cigarette advertising in sports, and has reportedly pushed for
Australia to bring in the ban before the rest of the world.
Formula One's governing body, the Federation Internationale de
L'Automobile, has agreed to phase out tobacco sponsorship of
Formula One by 2006 and will look for other forms of sponsorship.
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
| 
