http://www.andrewleigh.com/blog/?p=3389 Federal Member for Fraser in the Australian Parliament Sat, 18 May 2013 00:45:27 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 http://www.andrewleigh.com/blog/?p=3389#comment-21478 Ray Brindle Sun, 21 Oct 2012 21:43:14 +0000 http://www.andrewleigh.com/blog/?p=3389#comment-21478 Good on you, Andrew (and Rob Oakeshott). The AOC is in denial. I knew Peter back in those days - we both ran with EMH - and I can clearly recall the treatment he got from the Establishment. It didn't treat our clubmate Greg Lewis any better either. Peter was a gentle, determined man of high principles and his achievement in Mexico City was remarkable. I agree with Chris Wilson that, apology or not, the AOC and AA need to put Peter back into our athletics history. He has been airbrushed out for too long. Keep at them! Good on you, Andrew (and Rob Oakeshott). The AOC is in denial. I knew Peter back in those days – we both ran with EMH – and I can clearly recall the treatment he got from the Establishment. It didn’t treat our clubmate Greg Lewis any better either. Peter was a gentle, determined man of high principles and his achievement in Mexico City was remarkable. I agree with Chris Wilson that, apology or not, the AOC and AA need to put Peter back into our athletics history. He has been airbrushed out for too long. Keep at them!

]]> http://www.andrewleigh.com/blog/?p=3389#comment-21258 Chris Wilson Sat, 13 Oct 2012 06:56:04 +0000 http://www.andrewleigh.com/blog/?p=3389#comment-21258 Thank you and I am so pleased that Parliament has officially apologised to Peter Norman. But I think the job is not yet complete. Peter stood for what he believed, and paid a horrible price. He was roundly criticised by our own press at the time. Despite having the qualified for both the 100m and 200m events at the Munich Olympics multiple times and being the fourth fastest 200m sprinter in the world that year, he was not selected for the Munich Olympics. The snub by the AOC and IOC continued when he was not invited to the Sydney 2000 Olympic games. In the end he attended, but as a guest of the USA team who were outraged that he was not invited. Yet, the AOC still maintains that he was never blacklisted. What a joke! The AOC has never recognised Australia's fastest sprinter of all time. A man who still holds the Australian record for 200m and a man who stood for human rights, but in the process, he did not toe the line and was punished until his death for doing so. Where are our journalists? Does anyone remember what Peter Norman did and what he sacrificed? Why don't those in the press who have a voice, stand up for Peter Norman and demand an apology from the AOC for the appalling treatment he received? Thank you Parliament. Thank you Andrew Leigh. But the final step is an apology from the AOC and to give Peter Norman the recognition he deserves for his sporting efforts and for his stance on human rights. Thank you and I am so pleased that Parliament has officially apologised to Peter Norman. But I think the job is not yet complete. Peter stood for what he believed, and paid a horrible price. He was roundly criticised by our own press at the time. Despite having the qualified for both the 100m and 200m events at the Munich Olympics multiple times and being the fourth fastest 200m sprinter in the world that year, he was not selected for the Munich Olympics. The snub by the AOC and IOC continued when he was not invited to the Sydney 2000 Olympic games. In the end he attended, but as a guest of the USA team who were outraged that he was not invited. Yet, the AOC still maintains that he was never blacklisted. What a joke! The AOC has never recognised Australia’s fastest sprinter of all time. A man who still holds the Australian record for 200m and a man who stood for human rights, but in the process, he did not toe the line and was punished until his death for doing so. Where are our journalists? Does anyone remember what Peter Norman did and what he sacrificed? Why don’t those in the press who have a voice, stand up for Peter Norman and demand an apology from the AOC for the appalling treatment he received? Thank you Parliament. Thank you Andrew Leigh. But the final step is an apology from the AOC and to give Peter Norman the recognition he deserves for his sporting efforts and for his stance on human rights.

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