Annastacia Palaszczuk touts 2023 Olympic Games boon

Brisbane’s bid to host the 2032 Olympics is a ‘shining light of opportunity’ for Australia after the global pandemic.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. Picture: Tara Croser.

Annastacia Palaszczuk has touted Brisbane’s bid to host the 2032 Olympics as a “shining light of opportunity” for Australia after the global pandemic.

As she jetted out for Tokyo on Sunday, Ms Palaszczuk would not release any details of her final pitch on Wednesday to the 100 International Olympic Committee delegates deciding on the bid.

Federal Sports Minister Richard Colbeck, Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner and IOC vice-president and Australian Olympic Committee president John Coates, are also going to Tokyo.

The IOC executive board last month announced Brisbane’s sole candidature for the 2032 Games at the vote to take place on Wednesday. It will decide whether to endorse the Brisbane bid or allow other cities to compete.

In a statement, Ms Palaszczuk said all three levels of government were working cooperatively and that she believed a successful bid would “mark a pivotal moment in the history of our nation’’.

“Covid has been the story of 2020 and 2021 so far and Queenslanders have responded,’’ she said.

“But the Olympics is a shining light of opportunity that gives us hope and inspiration.

“There are children now who could have the opportunity to achieve their Olympic dreams.

“It’s a game-changer and all levels of government are working cooperatively in the best interests of Queensland and what it means to the future of our great state.”

The Brisbane bid, with an expected operating cost of at least $4.5bn, has been backed by joint state and federal funding, with events to spread across the southeast corner of the state.