Gold Coast Commonwealth Games: Speech Premier would have given
PREMIER Annastacia Palaszczuk controversially won’t be speaking at the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony. Here’s what she would have said.
Confidential
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IT’S possible, particularly when you’re from another country, to think we’ve come together at this great event in just another part of Australia.
That’s not true.
We are, in fact, in the best part of Australia, the beautiful state of Queensland! There’s a reason a Queensland smile is that little bit broader, why we walk that little bit taller.
It’s the pride we feel about our home. Each day we grow a deeper love and better understanding of the gift of our Aboriginal and Islander heritage – the oldest continuous cultures on Earth. We’re the birthplace of Waltzing Matilda. And the Bee Gees. The home of the Great Barrier Reef – the living jewel of Queensland.
Queenslanders put the “Q” in Qantas, the bend in bananas and the warmth into every sip of Bundaberg Rum. And the girl and guy next door are literally Chris Hemsworth and Margot Robbie. We’ve got millions just like them.
You’ve seen our beaches and blue skies. There’s a reason the next suburb is called Surfers Paradise and our tourism slogan is “Beautiful one day, perfect the next”.
Nowhere is this more true than this fabulous city of the Gold Coast. It’s special to us.
And these Games are its coming of age.
To us, the Gold Coast is the smell of pink zinc and tent canvas, coconut oil and vinyl car seats. The sound of lorikeets and children laughing. It’s the taste of the ocean. And the feeling of pure white sand under your feet.
But of all the things we Queenslanders boast about – and, you might have noticed, we do boast a bit – believe this: having you here for these Games, to share all of this with you, is our proudest moment yet.
Any day now we will welcome our five millionth Queenslander – a big family spread across a big state. No matter how far apart we are, being a Queenslander means we always stand together. And we’re standing together cheering all of you, the athletes, the volunteers and those who will make our Games great.
We’ve looked forward to this for a long time. To say welcome to the Gold Coast.
Welcome to our home.
Welcome to Queensland.
Originally published as Gold Coast Commonwealth Games: Speech Premier would have given
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