March 1997 TRANSCRIPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER
THE HON JOHN HOWARD MP
LAUNCH OF OFFICIAL LOGO FOR
COMMONWEALTH GAMES
e o e
Thank you very much to my colleagues Michael Knight and Warwick Smith; to Ray
Godwin, the President of the Commonwealth Games Association and particular
welcome also to Gary Pembarth and Alan Ridge, the managing directors of the two
companies that were particularly acknowledged for their sponsorship. I just want to
say as patron of the association how delighted I am to be associated with this formal
launch of the logo and in a sense the formal part of Australia's campaign for the
Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur in 1998.
And I particularly acknowledge also the presence of the Consul General for Malaysia
that this is the first time that Malaysia has hosted the Games and the first time that an
Asian city has been the host of the Commonwealth Games is a very special thing in
itself Australia of course in 1994 surpassed itself as far as Commonwealth Games
performance was concerned but I know that the determination and the competitive
spirit of Australia's sportsmen and women will mean that we will be endeaviouring
with every sinew available for the competing athletes to do even better than that when
they go to Malaysia in 1998.
It is important that as a lead up to the Olympic Games here in Sydney in the Year
2000, it is important that in preparing for those games we don't in any way relax our
efforts to maintain the splendid performance of Australian athletes over the years at the
Commonwealth Games. Although the similarities between the two games are obvious
in so many ways, there aer some characteristics of the Commonwealth Games that
mark them apart from the Olympic Games and give them some special features and
some special characteristics. The well-known description of them is the Friendly
Games illustrates that particular character and that particular trait of the competitive
spirit in which the athletes take place.
I am delighted to note the addition of so many new sports, new in the sense of them
being new for Commonwealth Games participation but certainly not new in the sense
that any of those sports are in any way unfamiliar to Australians. It is impossible to be
the Prime Minister of Australia without I suppose virtually every week of one's
existence to be reminded of the central place sport plays in the lives and indeed the
very ethic of all those things that binds our nation together. Sport, I think, and I look
at these things very positively does bring out some of the best features of the
Australian spirit. It brings out that commitment of body and soul to achieving an
objective. It brings out the capacity of people to play in a team, it brings out the
capacity of people to stretch their talents to the absolute limit and it also enables us to
put on display to the rest of world whether it is here in Australia or our teams
competing overseas those special characteristics that define Australians as being a very
distinctive and a very attractive group of people.
So ladies and gentlemen I want to wish all of those associated with the Commonwealth
Games effort, the very best of good fortune. I want to take the opportunity through
this luncheon on behalf of the Government to thank so many people in the
Commonwealth Games movement who give up their time without any reward, without
any recompense, but because they are dedicated to particular sports and they are
dedicated to ensuring that Australia always puts on the best possible representation.
Sometimes at gatherings like this, we can forget that sporting bodies all around
Australia have their genisis in those local communities where citizens come together
for no reward but simply because they love a particular sport and they are prepared to
devote hours and weeks and months and years of their time ensuring that people who
ultimately end up representing Australia, ultimately become household words as far as
Australian sports loving is concerned, that those people have their opportunities.
So I congratulate all of those associated with today's lunch. I thank the sponsors. I
commend the efforts of the Commonwealth Games association, I congratulate all of
those who brought past glory and past credit to Australia's sporting reputation and for
those who will ultimately be chosen to represent our country in Kuala Lumpur in 1998
I wish them well.
So ladies and gentlemen in concluding my remarks, I know my formal duty is to launch
the new logo and I am therefore very pleased to officially launch the new
Commonwealth Games logo which will be a very recognisable logo as we lead our
team into Kuala Lumpur.
Thank you very much.