Govt AWOL over sports funding: Liberals

The federal opposition is taking the government to task over its lack of response to
last year's controversial Crawford review into sports funding.
It has been almost four months since the report provoked heated debate about
investment in sports and whether community-based sports should take priority over
Olympic glory.
Sports Minister Kate Ellis said the government would scrutinise the report fully
before responding formally in the new year.
"Here we are in March and the sport community is still waiting to hear," opposition
sports spokesman Steven Ciobo said on Monday.
"Two cricket tours, a Winter Olympics, an NRL All Stars Game and the start of Super
14 and AFL seasons, but Minister Ellis hasn't managed to lace up her boots."
It was unacceptable that athletes, sporting bodies and communities were being made
to wait, Mr Ciobo said.
It's not the first time the minister has been criticised for her handling of the
report.
Australian Olympic Committee boss John Coates accused the minister of "going
missing" following the report's release in November and for failing to get in touch.
Ms Ellis later denied the claim, saying she'd had regular contact with Mr Coates and
his Paralympic counterpart Greg Hartung over the issue.
A spokeswoman from Ms Ellis' office said the government was in the final stages of
its review process and would be responding shortly.