A push to hold a Senate inquiry into how the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority and AFL conducted an investigation into the Essendon supplements saga appears dead.
New federal sports minister Greg Hunt said on Friday his office had reviewed information about how the four-year saga had been conducted and said there was nothing new to prompt an inquiry.
Those agitating for government intervention had hoped the recent leaking of a tape detailing angry discussions by former Essendon coach James Hird, former assistant coach Mark Thompson, former football-department boss Danny Corcoran and former club chairman Paul Little at the height of the scandal in August, 2013, just hours after the AFL told the Bombers charges would be laid, would spark another push for a senate inquiry into the conduct of the AFL and ASADA.
However, Hunt, also the minister for health, said that had failed.
"As minister for sport, protecting the health and wellbeing of participants in sport from doping is of the utmost concern," he said.
"I recognise the Essendon Football Club doping issue has been a difficult time for many involved and that the investigation has been the subject of extensive legal and other scrutiny.
"This has included consideration by the Federal Court and full bench of the Federal Court, the Court of Arbitration for Sport and the Swiss Federal Tribunal."
He said his office had "no role in the conduct of anti-doping investigations" and must respect court decisions.
Hird had failed twice in two Federal Court hearings to prove that the ASADA and AFL investigation had been unlawful.
Thirty-four past and present Essendon players were ultimately suspended for a year over the 2012 injection program.
"In recent times material has been supplied to my office by members of the public regarding concerns about the conduct of the investigation into doping at the Essendon Football Club," Hunt said.
"I have also taken note of the material reported in the Herald Sun on 24 February, 2017.
"After review and due consideration, and in light of the exhaustive review processes already applied to this matter, the Department has advised that there is no new or substantive information in the material supplied that would justify a further investigation. I have accepted that advice.
"The federal Labor Party also supports this position and on Wednesday during Senate estimates, Senator Don Farrell said his party was not convinced a Senate inquiry was necessary."
Hunt's decision comes after the Senate Estimates Committee this week cleared outgoing ASADA chief Ben McDevitt of providing the parliamentary body with false and misleading evidence. Those claims were made by Hird's father, Allan, and Bruce Francis, the former Test cricketer who has long alleged the investigation was illegal.