Federation Chamber
Thursday 10 December 2020

I stand here as a proud Queenslander and a big fan of all things sport. When you think of Queensland, you think of our great sporting prowess. This week the Queensland government and Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk look forward in a way that continues to put our state's best foot forward in regard to our economy, jobs and the future of our great state. This week the Premier met with John Coates from the Australian Olympic Committee to reboot Queensland's bid to host the 2032 Olympics. The meeting laid the groundwork for the full bid process to restart early next year. Instead of, as is traditional, a city hosting the games, Queensland's bid involves a statewide approach, which will likely include regional cities like Cairns, Townsville and the Gold Coast. Securing the Olympics and Paralympics would pour tens of billions of dollars into the economy in tourism exposure and in the building of transport infrastructure.

Government analysis has shown that a 2032 Olympics could turbocharge Queensland's economy, with fast-tracked infrastructure projects and a tourism boost creating as many as 130,000 jobs and bringing in $2.5 billion that would be provided by the IOC. Preliminary investigations by the Council of Mayors of South-East Queensland have found that ticket sales would be around six times greater than those for the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. This is what a strong future looks like for our state and our country. The Queensland government is dedicated to creating more jobs, and every Queenslander knows this is a fantastic opportunity for our state yet still understands that a vaccine and a lot of work will need to be undertaken to host such a prestigious and large-scale event.

Reflecting on the last few months, we know that there are challenges for our economy, both at a state level and at a national level. But the leadership of the Queensland Premier in keeping our borders closed and restrictions in place has put the Sunshine State ahead of the country. These decisions have meant that Queensland has been able to host some of the biggest sporting events held in 2020. Amid the extraordinary complications of coronavirus, the Queensland government has proven that it is the option for the Olympics, and I commend its leadership in the House today.

I know from visiting with the president of the IOC late last year that we were able to highlight what a magnificent sporting state my home state is, but I think it's time that our entire state got behind a future bid. I was delighted to see that the Premier has restarted the bid process for our home state, and my message is clear: let's go and get the 2032 Olympics for Queensland.