Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On indulgence, if I may, Mr Speaker. This morning, together with the Leader of the Opposition, we had the great privilege of welcoming home the Australian Olympic team. Never a finer bunch of young Australians have we sent abroad. They were terrific in every respect, all 433 of them. Despite their overnight flight from Beijing, I think it is fair to say they came home well satisfied with their achievements in Beijing. As well they should be, not just in terms of medal tallies and the things which are often debated around the international sports media and general media but also in the way they carried themselves off as an Australian team in Beijing. They are a fantastic group of young people. They were out there not just competing hard and sharp but also, in the way in which they are competing, showing everything about the Australian character—and for that we congratulate them as well.

Our swimming team performed superbly in the Water Cube. The kayakers, rowers and sailors continued a theme of Australian mastery over the water. And on land, we saw people like Jared Tallent, who won the silver medal in the men’s 50-kilometre walk in Beijing, after winning bronze earlier in the week in the 20-kilometre race. In collecting the silver, Tallent became the first Australian since Raelene Boyle in Munich in ’72 to win two athletics medals at an Olympics. And we will all carry memories of the achievements and efforts of so many of our athletes—Stephanie Rice, Emma Snowsill, Grant Hackett and so many others.

Much history was made: we all know about Steve Hooker and the pole vault; Matthew Mitcham and his extraordinary performance in the diving pool, our first Olympic gold since 1924—that has been a while between drinks; and, at the end, of course, a medal tally of which the country can be proud. On behalf of the government and I am sure the parliament, we extend our congratulations to the team for their achievements, to the Australian Olympic Committee for their achievements and also to all those who supported them, those behind the scenes—the physios, the trainers, the coaches and the administrators, all of whom made this Australian Olympic team abroad such a success.

As I said this morning at the welcome home ceremony, a special thanks also should go out to the mums and dads and family members. Each of the stories about these 433 athletes is a legend in itself. To get to the stage where you can actually be a member of the Australian Olympic team is the end of a massive competitive journey—so much dedication, so much effort, so much training, so much trial and so much disappointment, supported all the way through by family, friends and loved ones. They were out there, as the Leader of the Opposition and I saw this morning, in force, welcoming them home in the best of Australian traditions.

I was told this morning that London double-decker buses have been bedaubed with a particular sign today. I think Fran’s campaign has finally come home to roost on this question: ‘Where the hell are you?’ Can I say this to our friends in Britain, and we wish them well for the 2012 Olympics: I am sure they are going to do a fantastic job in hosting those Olympics. If I know anything about the Australian competitive spirit, if I know anything about the Australian Olympic Committee, our lot will be there with spades on ready to take it up to the Brits in the best of Australian traditions come 2012.

Brendan Nelson (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On indulgence, I join with the Prime Minister in congratulating our Australian Olympic team—the 433 athletes whom we had the privilege of welcoming home to Australia this morning. I would particularly like to thank Qantas for the significant contribution that it has made to making this the success that it was and, also, John Coates and the Australian Olympic Committee. It is typical of Australians and Australian athletes, and these men and women in particular, that many of them thanked the Prime Minister and me for being there, when in fact it was our honour to be there on behalf of the nation to welcome them home.

Stephanie Rice achieved three world records and won three gold medals. For James Tomkins—whom, as I said this morning, my wife loves—it was his sixth Olympics and he carried the flag for Australia, and James has not ruled out going to a seventh Olympics. Also, Steve Hooker had a magnificent result in the pole vault. I did say to Steve rather jovially, ‘Goodness knows how much higher you might have gone if you’d had a shaven head!’ Ken Wallace was one of the standouts, I thought, in the kayaking in the K1 500. When Ken finished, he said, ‘Geez, I looked around and I thought: where are the rest of them?’ and he realised he had won a gold medal. And there was Drew Ginn in the men’s pairs. One of the memorable moments was when Drew revealed that he had a photograph of his kids in the boat.

I think, however, it is not only about the athletes themselves who have spent not just four years but an entire lifetime preparing for this; it is about their families and the sacrifices, over a very long period of time, in getting their then young athletes to their particular sports. It is also about the financial sacrifices, the employers who have allowed those athletes to spend time away from work, the coaches, the doctors, the physios, the administrators and the managers, and all those who have contributed to this success. We were the sixth highest in terms of the medal tally, at 47 medals, but we were first when it came to the inspiration of a nation. Every Australian has been inspired over the last two weeks or more by these men and women in their perseverance, determination and teamwork and their sacrifices for one another. They have made every single one of us very proud to be Australian. We salute them. And, in a country that from time to time can be known to have the odd knocker, could I also congratulate Channel 7 for the magnificent way in which it covered the Olympics—

Daryl Melham (Banks, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You’re joking, aren’t you?

Brendan Nelson (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There you go, Mr Speaker; we have a few knockers in the Labor Party. I think they put in a pretty good effort along with the ABC.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Questions without notice. Are there any questions?