Paralympic athletes ask Annastacia Palaszczuk to include ‘paralympics’ in her ministerial title

Annastacia Palaszczuk refused to add the name “Paralympics” to her ministerial title until frustrated athletes went public. VOTE IN OUR POLL

Premier and Olympics Minister Annastacia Palaszczuk has dumped her long-held objection to including the word “Paralympics” in her ministerial title after Paralympic athletes took the unprecedented step of issuing an open letter pleading for the change.

After months of requests for the change behind closed doors were rebuffed by the Premier, the Paralympics Australia Athletes’ Commission went public late yesterday – asking Ms Palaszczuk to make the change to “reflect the importance of both events for Brisbane 2032”.

Ms Palaszczuk has been asked repeatedly in recent months if she would include Paralympics in her new title, but has consistently refused to do so – saying Australian Olympic Committee boss John Coates told her to use the title “Minister for the Olympics”.

But 37 minutes after The Courier-Mail reported on the open letter late on Wednesday, the Premier tweeted that she would make the change.

Paralympians have asked me to add ‘Paralympics’ to my title. I’m happy to do that and it will be changed by the end of the year.

— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) September 28, 2022

But that came just 90 minutes after the Premier’s office had initially told The Courier-Mail that Ms Palaszczuk “looks forward to discussing the request when she meets with the president of Paralympics Australia next week.”

The letter from the Paralympics Australia Athletes’ Commission said the change would reflect “current societal expectations” – “and appropriately reflect the Government’s commitment to promote greater inclusion, diversity, and accessibility in the planning and delivery of these Games”.

Team Australia athletes pose for photographs ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games at Ariake Tennis Park in August, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. Picture: Yuichi Yamazaki/Getty Images for International Paralympic Committee

Paralympics Australia president Jock O’Callaghan said the absence of “Paralympics” from Ms Palaszczuk’s title had been “at odds with everything we’ve committed to do with the 2032 Games”, and that “everything else had been tried” before the decision was taken to go public.

“As the leader of the Paralympic movement in this country I’m really quite dismayed that they need to speak out publicly to one of the most senior leaders in the country for recognition in such a simple but symbolic way,” he said.

“This is very uncomfortable for them and it simply shouldn’t be. I am feeling for the athletes, because they shouldn’t have reached the point where they felt they were being ignored, and where they felt like they had no other choice.”

The Australian Olympic Committee said it “has no issue with the change” – but it was a State Government decision.

Ms Palaszczuk appointed herself Olympics Minister last October. Stirling Hinchliffe is Minister Assisting the Premier on Olympics and Paralympics Sport and Engagement.